The Morning After
by that belle
Summary: Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate.. "I wouldn't have it any other way..."
1. Sunday, the morning after

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing for this fandom. I'm not completely caught up with the show, I've only seen the first three seasons and the fifth season is meant to be on TV here soon, so... please bear with any mistakes I make (or point them out) and enjoy!

* * *

**Sunday, the morning after.**

The sunlight peeking through the curtain was what woke Kate up on Sunday morning. One of the first things she noted was the throbbing pain in her head. She turned over on to her side, her eyes still shut. Kate stifled a groan, and tried to remember the details of the previous night. She knew there had definitely been alcohol. That explained the headache. And dancing. There may have been a party – a staff party, perhaps? – because she remembered Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky and DiNozzo.

Kate rubbed her eyes, and sat up slowly. The sheet that had been covering her small frame fell away, and she noticed that she wasn't wearing anything. Biting her lip, she looked around the room in a desperate attempt to remember what had happened at the party, and why the interior of her bedroom had changed dramatically overnight. Her eyes fell upon the figure asleep next to her, and she let out a petrified scream.

"DiNozzo!" Kate fell back in shock, taking the sheet with her. Her co-worker was wearing just as much as she was, and her scream stirred him.

His eyes focused on her, and he looked dazed for a moment. "Kate? It's Sunday morning. Don't tell me Gibbs wants us." Kate didn't reply. She sat at the edge of the bed, staring at him. His eyes widened, as he looked her up and down. "K-Kate?"

Kate realised that the reason why her room had apparently received a makeover during the night was because it was not, in fact, her room. The fact she had somehow ended up in Anthony DiNozzo's room – in his bed – was still a shock. Definitely not at the top of her "to-do" list.

"DiNozzo," She said stiffly, "what happened last night?"

"What does it look like, Kate?" Tony replied, exasperated.

Kate threw Tony a dirty look, and then got off the bed. "Where are you going?" Tony said to her as she made to leave the room.

She stopped at the door, and turned to him. "Shower, DiNozzo."

He grinned as she walked out. "Maybe I could join you?" He called.

"That would defeat the purpose of the shower, Tony." Came the reply, causing the Senior Field Agent to pout.

* * *

Tears of frustration burned beneath Kate's eyelids as the hot water poured down on her. Even though there had been one or two times in the year or so she had known Tony that she had thought about the possibility of welcoming his constant advances, she had imagined that it would not have happened after getting drunk at a party. She stepped out of the shower after rinsing her hair, and dried herself off. Realising she had nothing to change into but what she wore last night, she wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom.

Tony stood there, his expression unreadable. "You really find me that repulsive, Kate?" He asked, thrusting the plate of scrambled eggs he was holding into her hands. She almost dropped the towel as a result.

"Did I ever say that?" She replied, following him as he made his way down the hall into the kitchen. She sat at the counter and he watched her pick at her eggs, not replying. Eventually, Kate abandoned the eggs and looked up. "Tony. If you took that comment about the shower seriously, then…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me, Kate. What _did_ you mean by it?"

"Look, I…" She looked him in the eye. He looked right back at her. She figured that since they had already slept together, there was no point in hiding what she thought anymore. "I… had thought once or twice about… you and me." She said the last part quietly, looking down at her eggs to hide her blush. "I suppose, what I meant by what I said before was… if we ever got together, it would not be as a result of getting drunk at a party."

Tony looked at her, bewildered. Did she just admit to him that the possibility of being with him had crossed her mind several times in the past? He let out a chuckle that caused her to look up at him with a confused – almost annoyed – look.

"Is that so amusing?" She asked, her face still quite red from embarrassment. She started to eat the scrambled eggs that were in front of her, before stopping suddenly. She looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Tony, you never said you could cook like this."

He smirked as she returned to her eggs. "Well, first off, I didn't find that amusing. I found it strange. Secondly, I don't cook often so I don't tell people about it."

"Why strange?"

Tony shrugged. "It's crossed my mind before, believe me. I just never thought I would hear _you_ say it."

"Then you don't know too much about me, do you?" Kate put down the knife and fork she was holding, and got to her feet. "I should probably go." She said, turning away from him. "I need sleep. I need to go home and get dressed."

"Sleep here then." Tony said. "Borrow one of my shirts, and sleep here for a while." Kate looked at him sceptically. "I won't touch you, I swear. Unless…"

"Unless?" Kate repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Tony smirked. "Unless you want me to, Katie."

* * *

Kate woke up later in the morning to find her headache was worse. There was no sign of Tony in the bedroom, or any sign that he had been in there since they woke up. She was relieved. Slipping quietly out of bed, she looked down at the shirt of Tony's she was wearing. Then at the black dress she had worn out last night that was lying in a heap on the floor. Normally this would have bothered Kate, but her sore head was getting to her more than a messy room.

She walked out into the living room, where Tony was sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine. He looked up when she came in, and grinned.

"Don't you look great?" Tony commented, turning a page of his magazine. "Feel any better?"

"I'm surprised I haven't thrown up everywhere." She mumbled, collapsing onto the sofa next to him. "Why don't you feel awful?"

"I can just hide it better, Katie."

She didn't say anything. Even if he was taking a stab at her, she didn't feel like getting into an argument. Several things were nagging at her brain, some of them she couldn't quite put a finger on.

It was frustrating. "Tony…" She said at length. "What does this mean? It, in fact, it means anything at all."

Kate didn't turn to look at him. She feared the worst, whatever that was. But what was she hoping for him to say? That they could be together, and that would solve their worries? She heard him sigh, and throw the magazine on the coffee table.

"Well, Kate…" Tony said, choosing his words carefully. "I… don't really know." For once, he didn't know. Nothing trademark about him today. He had definitely had too much to drink – they all had – and he had ended up with Kate in his bed as a result. He couldn't remember much about the previous night himself, and he supposed that she didn't either. _'But, where to go from here?'_ Tony thought. _'Is she looking for a relationship? I probably can't commit to her…'_

"Do you regret it?" She asked suddenly. This time her eyes were on him as she spoke, even though he seemed to be in a far-off place.

"Do you?"

"I asked you first."

She watched him, and waited. It was a simple yes or no question, yet he couldn't seem to answer it. As more time passed, Kate felt like more of a fool. How could she expect him to answer something like that? Let alone, anything else? She stood up. "I'm sorry, Tony. I shouldn't have asked you such a _difficult_ question." She stomped off towards his bedroom, and slammed the door shut after her.

* * *

Tony waited by the door for Kate to come out. While it wasn't locked, and he could have easily walked in there, he _was_ a respectful man, and even though what he had to say to Kate was urgent, it could wait until she had come out.

When she came out, he opened his mouth to speak but she was quicker than him.

"Save your breath, DiNozzo." Tony noted the fact that she was back to referring to him as 'DiNozzo' and not 'Tony'. It hurt, a little. "We'll forget this happened, and go to work on Monday with smiles and… well, whatever. I have to go."

She walked past him, and he made no move to stop her. He just watched, as she gathered her things, and walked out of his apartment without looking back.


	2. Revelations of a sort

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Just a quick note before we start off with chapter two... I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read or reviewed! I was thrilled with the response to the first chapter! You guys rock!

* * *

**Revelations... of a sort.**

Monday at work looked like it was going to be hell for Kate. She leaned against the back of the elevator, and waited for it to go up. She had been running late, of course, and upon entering the office she could already feel the tension. Gibbs was not there, so she managed to avoid a lecture from him about being on time. However, Tony and McGee were already there, and when Tony saw Kate come in, he looked away pointedly.

Gibbs walked into the bullpen just after Kate had taken her seat at her desk. "You're late." He commented, but when she looked up she saw his small smile.

"Gibbs, I'm sorry, I-"

"Kate, don't worry about it!" He chuckled. "It doesn't look like anything's going to happen today, no cases, so you can all get rid of your hangovers properly." He added, looking at Tony as though he were hinting at something. Tony stared back, and shrugged his shoulders. Truth be told, they were all feeling the effects of Saturday night and – in Tony and Kate's case – Sunday morning.

About an hour later, Kate took a look at her emails, not expecting anything. So she was surprised when there was an email there. She opened it up.

_Kate,_

_Can we talk about yesterday? You left in a hurry._

_Tony_

She looked up from her computer screen to see the sender of the email throwing paper airplanes at McGee, who had been trying to type something. Sighing, Kate clicked on the "reply" button.

_Not at work, Tony._

_Kate_

She returned to the file she had been flicking through earlier, and decided that she would try and get some work done, regardless of her headache. She didn't notice Gibbs come back in with coffee – for everyone, this time – and she almost didn't hear her computer beep when Tony's reply came in.

_Why not? I think you ran off because you were scared._

_Tony_

Kate glared at Tony. Ignoring the email, she sipped on the coffee that was left on her desk and got stuck into the file that had been bugging her that morning.

* * *

"Hey, Kate. How about some lunch? My treat."

Kate looked up, startled. Tony was standing over her desk, smiling broadly. She hadn't even noticed him come over. It was as though he didn't have a care in the world. Kate just glared at him.

"I'm not hungry."

"You look peaky, Kate. C'mon, let me buy you something. I'll take you to a _healthy_ place?"

She slammed the folder she had been looking through shut, and snapped at him. "Fine!"

If Gibbs, McGee and Abby (who had come up from her lab to eat lunch with McGee) had thought anything was unusual about this exchange, they didn't say anything. Gibbs kept his eyes on his computer screen – although he couldn't really read it that well – and Abby and McGee, not wanting to be a nuisance, almost vanished out of sight behind McGee's cubicle.

Kate put on her coat and put the file back in the cabinet where it belonged, then walked with Tony to the lift. As they waited for it to come up, Kate heard her name being called.

"Kate!"

It was Abby. The brunette turned back to the Goth, who was smiling as usual. "Meet me in the lab when you get back!"

"Do you have something to show me, Abs?" Kate asked.

"No, I just need to talk to you."

"Okay."

Kate heard the ding of the elevator, and then stepped into it after Tony. As soon as the door closed, he had her cornered.

"You were in a hurry to leave my apartment yesterday morning." He smirked, leaning in close to her. "Does my charm scare you?"

"No, it repulses me, DiNozzo." Kate rolled her eyes, and attempted to push him away. He didn't move. "I told you we are _not_ going to discuss this at work."

"Kate, what do you think of me?" He asked. They walked out of the elevator. "Because on one hand you say you think about me, and on the other hand you say I repulse you. So what is it?"

She walked along beside him, digesting his question. They had left the building and were walking down the street before she answered him.

"Tony… I really don't know what to say to you." Kate said, shrugging her shoulders. "I told you yesterday: I like you a lot, but…"

"But?"

Kate stopped, and he stopped too. She caught his eye and said, "I'm looking for a guy who isn't afraid of commitment, Tony. I'm not looking for a fling."

"Who said I'm-"

"Tony." Kate said flatly. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you are looking for a _relationship_?"

"C'mon, Kate, be reasonable!" Tony cried. The two were so involved in their 'little talk' that they didn't notice McGee and Abby walking up behind them. Abby turned to McGee, grinned, and put a finger to her cherry red lips. "What does it matter if I'm not a commitment guy? Kate, can you tell me that you don't feel _anything_ for me?"

"No, I can't!" Kate was frustrated, she almost yelling. "I'm not about to deny what I feel, but I'm not going to jump into a relationship with a man who can't or won't commit!"

Tony didn't know what he wanted when it came to Kate, and he was as confused as hell as to what she wanted when it came to him, but those words hit home. Hard. He looked at her, an empty feeling in his stomach. "So. That's it then?"

"Yes, Tony." Kate replied. Tony couldn't hear the distress in her voice, but Abby and McGee quickly caught on. They backed away, and around the corner. And not a moment too soon, as Kate pushed past Tony, and stormed off again, this time in the direction of the office.

"Kate!" He called after her. "Kate!" In reality, he could have rushed after her, but his feet felt like lead, and he couldn't move.

Kate was standing outside the office again a couple of minutes later. She had no idea what was going through her mind. She was upset, and confused. She had always known that Tony was the kind of guy who had a lot of girlfriends, and never took them for granted, but now that the two had 'crossed the line' she was actually feeling it.

'_Shake it off, Kate!'_ She told herself angrily. _'You need to get on with your job, and forget that thing with DiNozzo ever happened!'_

She shuddered a bit, and finally decided to get some lunch. She settled on some coffee and a sandwich from the shop across the street, and then headed back to the NCIS lab to wait for Abby.

* * *

"Thanks for shouting me lunch, Tim." Abby smiled at McGee as the two walked along the street, arm in arm. "I'll return the favour, I promise."

"Don't worry about it."

She watched him from the corner of her eye as they walked back to headquarters. They had been doing this for a very, _very_ long time now – these 'lunch dates'. Abby loved spending time with McGee, and while she enjoyed their 'dates', she thought that it was time they took it a step further, and went on a real date.

If, of course, he wanted to.

"Say, Tim, what do you think about-"

"Tony and Kate?" McGee said suddenly, looking at her.

"Well… yeah." Abby lied, turning away from McGee. They continued down the street and around the corner. "Weird, huh? What do you think happened?"

"Maybe they slept together."

Abby considered it. As the two walked into the building she thought about Kate's behaviour that morning. That's when she remembered she asked Kate to meet her.

"Well, McGee, thanks for lunch, but I've gotta run." Abby said, kissing him quickly on the cheek. "Come and see me later if you're not too busy."

He barely had time to stammer that it was, once again, no problem, before she had disappeared inside the elevator.

Timothy McGee never even considered that what Abby had wanted to ask him about had nothing to do with their co-workers. At all.

* * *

Kate hadn't been in Abby's lab long when the Goth herself came in. "Sorry I'm late." Abby said, throwing her bag on the table. She seemed rather put off, Kate observed. She got up from where she had been sitting and walked over to Abby.

"You wanted to ask me something, Abs?"

Abby looked at Kate, and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not gonna beat about the bush Kate."

"You never were the type to." Kate laughed.

"Alright, but promise me first you won't hate me for this? _Promise_ me?"

"I promise, Abby. Now ask."

Abby took a deep breath. "Is there anything going on between you and Tony, Kate?"

Kate wasn't expecting that. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened slightly. "W-where did you get that from?"

Abby just grinned. Kate just stood there, her surprise evident. "You slept together, didn't you?"

Kate sunk into the nearest chair. "We did." Given the nature of her reaction, Kate knew she couldn't fabricate any lie. She would never lie to Abby, anyway. She trusted her too much. "How did you find out?"

Abby looked at the floor. "Don't think I was spying on you, Kate. McGee and I were coming back from lunch and we saw you two fighting about something in the middle of the street."

Kate sighed. "It was a mistake."

"But you said you weren't going to deny the fact that you had feelings for him." Abby said slowly, not wanting to push Kate into telling her anything. On the other hand, she really wanted to know. She hadn't ever suspected it.

"I'm not denying it." Kate said moodily. "I'm just saying I think it was a mistake."

"Or," Abby guessed. "You secretly wanted it to happen - one day - but he didn't seem to want it?"

"Maybe. Abby, we were drunk. Extremely drunk. I can't even remember what happened after the party. I just remember… I just... oh, Abby, it was horrible!" Kate cried, feeling the tears sliding down her cheeks.

Abby had not been expecting this. She walked over to where her best friend sat crying and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, Kate." She said. "Everything will be alright. At least he used protection, right?" Her mouth fell open when she felt Kate tense in her arms. "Kate. Tony used protection, didn't he?"


	3. Dinner Date

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Thanks again for the awesome feedback! This is definitely my most well-received story, ever. I also don't own anything, as usual. Dunno if I mentioned that before.

* * *

McGee and Tony were sitting at their desks when Kate returned to the bullpen, accompanied by Abby. Tony busied himself with his work, so Abby just took Kate over to McGee's desk and the two sat down.

"What's the matter?" McGee asked, only then noticing Kate's teary eyes and Abby's worried expression.

"Oh, just female issues, Tim." Abby said.

McGee turned red. "Uh, well, I'll just leave you to it then."

"It's nothing like that!" Abby laughed. She grabbed McGee by his tie and pulled him forward. "Listen, Tim, I need you to distract Kate for a while. I need to talk to Tony."

"Um, sure."

"Great! Thanks McGee, I knew I could count on you!" She patted him on the head and then turned to Kate. "Talk to McGee for a while." She whispered. "I'm going to work my magic on Tony."

Kate shrugged. "Good luck in getting him to talk."

Abby smirked. "Heh, you don't know what I can do, Kate." She turned to Tony, who had been evidently trying to listen in on their conversation. "Tony! How about you and I go for a walk?"

"Sure." He got up, grabbed his coat and followed Abby towards the elevator. She turned to him when they got there.

"Tony. I've had an interesting conversation with Kate…"

* * *

Kate felt pretty awkward, just sitting there. It wasn't as though she didn't get along with McGee, but it had become strangely quiet. There was quiet, and then there was _this_ kind of quiet. The awkward silence.

"So, McGee, did you catch the game in the weekend?" Kate asked. She wasn't really sure what she was asking about, she wasn't even sure if there _were_ any games in the weekend.

It proved she was right. "Er, what game?"

"I don't know, I just thought I'd try and break the silence." Kate said, smiling a little.

"True." McGee laughed. "In that case, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Kate said, a little taken back by McGee's sudden request. He hadn't been one to ask much of people before.

"It's, um, about Abby."

"Okay. I'm all ears."

* * *

Abby had known that Gibbs would not be back from wherever he went until late in the afternoon, so she took that opportunity to take Tony to the shop across the street. She ordered two cappuccinos and two blueberry muffins. They took a seat while they waited.

"Tony, Kate told me something that had me worried." Abby said. "Well, she didn't say it as much… I figured it out for myself." She grinned, then remembered herself suddenly. "Anyway. Not the point, Abby! Tony, can you tell me about what happened with you and Kate after the party?"

Tony frowned. They hadn't agreed not to discuss what happened, but in a way he still felt a little… betrayed, by Kate. Why did Abby have to know?

"McGee and I saw you two fighting on the street earlier." Abby said, noting the look in Tony's eyes. He seemed angry. "So don't think Kate came to me to share some gossip. She's actually really distressed. For two reasons."

"Oh?" Tony said. "And what might they be?"

"Tony, don't take that tone with me!" Abby said, looking hurt. "I'm trying to help out two friends who don't want to know each other at the moment!"

Tony gaped at Abby. "Sorry, Abs. What is it that Kate's distressed about?"

"Well," Abby said, twisting one of her pigtails around her finger. "Firstly, she's distressed about how much she likes you. She's scared about taking things further because she knows your type. She's ready to settle, Tony!" She added, as Tony opened his mouth to speak. "She's looking for _the one_."

"I still don't get what all that's about." Tony said. "She should be having fun while she's still young. She should be… with me…" The last two words he said so quietly he wasn't sure he even said them, but he knew if Abby had heard him it would spell doom. It wasn't like him at all.

"Tony, do you know what you want?" Abby asked. "Could you really see yourself in an honest, long-term relationship with Kate?"

"I don't know." Tony confessed. "I would like to see myself as that guy, but I've never really been in relationships that have lasted more than a couple of weeks. I don't want to hurt her."

"Although you already have." Abby pointed out. Tony pouted.

"Did you say there was something else, Abby?" He asked, rubbing the sides of his head with the tips of his fingers. "I don't think it could get much worse."

"When you slept together, did you use protection Tony?" Abby asked, pausing as the waitress came over with their drinks. "Because Kate doesn't know if you did. She's really worried."

Tony's reaction, Abby observed, was the same as Kate's. He just froze. Although this was looking increasingly bad for Kate, Abby kept her composure. She just watched Tony struggle to remember. After a few minutes, he relaxed again. He even smiled.

"Yes, Abby. I used protection."

Abby breathed a sigh of relief. "How certain are you?"

Tony shrugged; glad to have this conversation over. "About 90 percent."

"Only 90?" Abby almost shrieked. "So, that means there's a 10 percent chance that Kate could be pregnant or something? _Tony!_"

* * *

Kate had been listening intently to McGee's story for the half hour that Abby and Tony were gone, offering her advice when it was needed. And when it came to this situation, her advice was needed a lot.

"I think," Kate said smiling. "You should ask Abby to dinner. Tonight, Tim."

"T-tonight?" He repeated.

"Yes, tonight." Kate said. "I know she doesn't have any plans, and I think she would be thrilled. I really do."

"You think?"

Kate just smiled. She got up, and walked back over to her desk. "And flowers. Never forget flowers."

McGee scribbled _'flowers – black?'_ down on a piece of paper. He looked up at Kate, hoping for some more advice.

"Don't buy her black flowers." Kate said suddenly, laughing. "Everyone buys her black flowers. Especially on birthdays. I'll let you in on a hint: she secretly likes the _pink_ roses."

"Pink roses? Abby?" McGee said, dumbfounded. He wasn't quite sure about that, but Kate was Abby's best friend and what she said was probably right. He changed the scribble on his piece of paper to _'roses – pink'_.

* * *

Abby and Kate had eaten an early dinner huddled over Kate's desk that evening. It was nothing big – it was actually rather small – but there was no work to do and the whole office had been slack all day.

Kate looked up from her desk. McGee was watching her. He pointed to his computer. Kate raised an eyebrow, confused, but then clicked when she heard her computer beep. She quickly opened up the email while Abby was raving about black lipstick.

_I have the pink roses. What should I do?_

_Tim_

Kate couldn't help but smile. McGee was totally clueless. No wonder Abby found it adorable. She hastily wrote up her reply.

_Take them down to her lab and wait there. I'll send her down in a minute, and then you ask her to dinner. Just go for it, Tim._

_Kate_

She turned back to Abby, and they continued talking for a while. The topic changed from lipstick to boys, and in the meanwhile McGee slipped out of the bullpen and down to the elevator unnoticed.

"Abby, do you remember me asking for a sample the other day?" Kate asked. This was her diversion. She hadn't asked for a sample, but hopefully Abby would take the bait.

"I'm not sure." Abby said thoughtfully. "A DNA sample?"

"I think that's what it was."

Abby hummed a bit, hoping that it might help her remember. "I'll just go down to my lab and check for you."

"Great. Thanks Abs. Gibbs will have my head if I don't have it." Kate smiled.

Abby grinned back, and got up from her chair. She walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. When she got down to her lab, the door slid open to reveal something quite… shocking.

"A-Abby!" McGee stammered. "I… um…"

She blushed a little. McGee was standing there, and in his hands were a dozen baby pink roses. Her all-time favourite. However, she was determined not to let her guard down – he had upset her earlier that afternoon – so she regained her composure.

"Hi Tim." She said coolly.

"Um, Abby… t-these are for you." He said slowly, walking up to her and holding out the flowers.

So much for composure. She beamed at him, and accepted the flowers. "Oh, Timmy, these are gorgeous!" She exclaimed, smelling them quickly. "They're my favourite! How on earth did you know? Everyone always buys me black roses!"

It was McGee's turn to blush. "I… well…" He didn't think it would be wise to tell Abby that he found that out from Kate. "Abby, wouldyouliketohavedinnerwithme?"

She looked up at him. "Pardon?"

"Would you like… dinner?" McGee almost choked out. It wasn't going as smoothly as he would have liked. He was never this edgy around her. What was wrong with him?

"I'd like that." Abby smiled. She ran the tips of her fingers down his jaw line, causing him to shudder. She had always liked that about him. "Shall we go?"


	4. Questions

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Another thank you to everyone who is following this! I tried to get this up last night but there was a glitch on the site, so no go. Anyway, here it is, please enjoy!

* * *

The next three weeks passed without much hassle. McGee and Abby had gone official, and McGee had taken Gibbs' words of advice seriously – "If you do anything to hurt her…"

Kate and Tony had not talked to each other, either. The word going around the office was that something had happened, and it was so bad that Kate vowed never to forgive Tony… or was it the other way around? That was how scuttlebutt worked. No one knew the _real_ truth.

Apart from Kate, Tony and Abby. Since Kate had not wanted to talk to Tony, Abby had passed the information on to Kate that Tony was sure he used protection that night. So the subject was never brought up again.

Kate was sitting at her desk on Tuesday morning, looking at her fingernails. Work was particularly slow. No leads on any cases, nothing. She couldn't even fight with Tony to pass the time. Whenever she looked at him she felt a burning sense of anger, and for some reason loss, in the pit of her stomach.

On the other side it was different. Tony longed to talk to Kate. He wanted to smooth things over with her, and try again. He wanted to prove to her that he could be _that guy_.

He decided to send an email.

_Kate,_

_I feel really awful about how things have turned out between us. I don't want anything to ruin our friendship._

_Can we please talk?_

Tony

When he sent it, and looked up at her desk, he was surprised to see she wasn't there. He heard her computer beep. He looked around the room. No sign of her anywhere.

"Hey, Probie." Tony said, flicking a paper ball over towards McGee. "Where did Kate go?"

"She just ran out," McGee replied, looking over at Tony.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Tony." McGee said, returning to his computer.

Kate returned a few minutes later, holding a hand over her stomach. She sat down at her desk and looked at her computer. Tony watched, and waited. As predicted, she looked up at him. She had obviously read his email and, he hoped, wanted to talk to him.

His computer beeped. Trying not to smirk with triumph, Tony acted casual, opening up the email.

_I don't want to ruin our friendship either, Tony. Let's talk after work._

Kate

Tony could have jumped for joy. He felt like it was Christmas… a very good Christmas. He would have run over to Kate and hugged her senseless, but at that moment Gibbs and Abby came out of the elevator. Abby was holding a Caf-Pow and Gibbs was holding a coffee.

"Tony, gas the truck." He said, walking over to his desk and grabbing his gun. "C'mon Kate, McGee. We have a new lead."

"Uh, Gibbs," Kate said quietly from her desk. "I don't think I can go."

Gibbs stopped, and turned to her. "It wasn't a-" He would have said 'request', but Kate had dashed out of the room again, her hand covering her mouth. He looked up at Abby. "Was it something I said?"

Abby shrugged. Tony walked away from the group in the direction Kate had run off in. He found her by the water cooler, having a glass of water.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. He leaned against the opposite wall and folded his arms.

Kate looked up at him. She seemed pale. "I'll be alright." She refilled the paper cup and took another sip. "Just a stupid virus. It'll go away in a few days."

He went over to her and rubbed her back gently. "Kate, you can't work like that. Go home."

Kate's eyebrow rose. "Are you actually sounding genuinely worried, Tony?" She giggled when she saw the look on his face change.

"C'mon, Katie…" He whispered so only she could hear. "I'm trying, here. Well, I would be if you'd let me."

Kate felt him take his hand off her back, realising later that he had walked away. She had also realised that what he said had two meanings. She headed slowly back to the bullpen, where Gibbs, Tony and McGee were waiting.

"Kate, you look terrible."

"Thanks, Gibbs." Kate replied sarcastically, going over to her desk. She saw a note taped to her computer screen from Abby.

_Meet me in the lab pronto._

Gibbs looked at her for a while. "Anyway, Kate, you should go home. Take a few days off. Abby will take you."

"But I-"

"It wasn't a request, Kate. Now go."

She glared at him for a moment, watching the three men with her eyes as they filed towards the elevator. Only Tony looked back. When their eyes met, Kate held her hand up to her face and mimicked a telephone.

'Call me.' She mouthed.

He was about to nod, but he realised around the same time she did that he didn't have her number.

"Uh, boss, I'll meet you downstairs," Kate heard him say. She grinned when he added, "Forgot my badge."

He jogged back over to Kate, who was scribbling down her number on a piece of paper for him. "Don't lose it." She said, handing it to him. As he walked back over to the elevator, Kate joined him soon after.

"Meeting Abby." She said when she saw his confused expression. She looked at his jacket. "And I don't think Gibbs will believe your little story about the badge. You've had it on you all day."

The two stepped into the elevator, and the doors slid shut. Tony pressed the buttons for the two floors they were going to. As soon as they were moving, Tony turned to her.

"Kate, I've been thinking about what you said."

She turned to him. Her heart was hopeful but she didn't want to let it show yet. Just in case she was about to be seriously let down. She couldn't handle that.

Her prayers were answered when he took her hand. "I want… I want you, Katie. I want to be _that guy_. Someone you can rely on."

She smiled, and turned away again so she was facing the door. "I'd like that."

The elevator slowed, and stopped. As the doors were sliding open, Kate smiled at Tony and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Call me." She said, turning and walking out of the elevator.

Tony wanted to punch the air.

* * *

Abby sat in front of her computer, looking over it at Kate's face. "You're more pale than normal." She observed, looking at the screen again. "Hm. It doesn't seem like a stomach virus to me. When was your last period?"

Kate went red. "A-almost seven weeks ago."

Abby's mouth fell open. "And… is it usually that late?" Kate didn't seem to be getting what the Goth was hinting at, so she didn't want to bombard her with it just in case there was no need to.

"No, never."

Abby frowned. "I don't know, Kate. Maybe Ducky will know." She picked up the phone and pressed the speed dial to Autopsy. She _didn't_ put it on speaker.

"Autopsy, Dr. Mallard."

"Ducky!" Abby said cheerfully. "Do you have some spare time? I need your help."

"Of course, Abigail." Ducky's voice replied. He, too, sounded cheerful. It made Abby wonder if he was doing it to put on an appearance, like she was, or if he was actually having a good day. "I'll be there in two minutes."

The line went dead, and Abby replaced the receiver. "Ducky will come up and talk to you." She said. Kate seemed nervous. "It's okay, Kate! Ducky's a Medical Examiner, and he'll probably know what it is."

By the time Ducky arrived, Kate was looking at one of Abby's pictures on the wall, and Abby herself was sitting at her computer, her expression blank.

"Abby?"

She looked up at him, and then pointed to her computer screen. Ducky came around and had a look at the page she was on. His face became stern.

"You don't think…?" He looked at her, and she nodded.

"I do, Ducky. I asked her a couple of questions before and they both fitted the symptoms."

They fell silent when Kate came back over. "So, Ducky, do you know what's wrong with me? I thought it was just a stomach virus but Abby doesn't seem to think so."

"Well, Caitlin, if you wouldn't mind I would like a blood and urine sample." Ducky started, rubbing his hands together. He nodded at Abby, who took the hint. She grabbed her wallet and left the lab.

* * *

Gibbs, Tony and McGee returned to the NCIS building a couple of hours later. The lead had been false, and it had almost cost them their lives. It had been a mis-delivered message and it had resulted in a gunfight. The team were unhurt, but they couldn't exactly say the same about the other side.

As Tony and Gibbs were heading towards the main door (McGee had closed the car door on his jacket), Tony spotted Abby running up the path to the building, a bright pink bag in her hand. He squinted to read the brand name.

"The Baby Factory?" He read out loud.

"What was that, DiNozzo?"

"Uh… nothing, boss. Abby just had a weird… bag in her hand." He replied, shrugging it off.

The two continued walking until they reached the door. Gibbs stopped and turned to Tony. He narrowed his eyes and squinted at him.

"DiNozzo, is that lipstick on your cheek?"


	5. Kate's House

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: From what I think I know, Kate did _not_ grow up in DC. But, for the sake of this story, lets just say that she did. Thanks to everyone who is reading this, enjoy!

* * *

The door to Abby's lab slid open, and Gibbs walked in, followed by Tony. Ducky and Abby were huddled over the Goth's desk. They appeared to be talking very quietly.

"Hey, Abs." Tony called, causing the Goth to nearly jump out of her skin.

She turned around and glared at Tony. "Tony! You could have given me some warning!"

Tony chuckled. "Did I scare you, Abs?"

"Of course not," Abby grinned, turning back to her desk. "I just wasn't expecting it. How did the case go?"

"False lead." Gibbs said, looking around the lab. "It was… Agent Todd, what are you still doing here?" For he had just noticed Kate, who was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine.

She looked up and shrugged. "Ducky's running some tests. I want to know what's wrong with me." Kate looked past Gibbs to Tony, who was smiling at her. She raised an eyebrow. "DiNozzo, you have lipstick on your cheek."

"Wow, Tony!" Abby smirked. "Is it what I-" She saw Gibbs' look and re-thought her sentence. "Er… is she nice?"

"Maybe we could discuss Tony's personal life later, and while we are at work we could discuss this false lead?" Gibbs suggested. "DiNozzo, take Kate home. Abby, I need you to run the prints off that note."

"Actually, Gibbs," Abby started. "Ducky and I are in the middle of-"

"I don't recall _asking_."

Gibbs left the lab, and Abby and Ducky exchanged glances. "How about I finish this down in Autopsy and then I'll let you know when I have the result?"

"Okay!" Abby said. She turned to Kate. "I'm sure it's just a stomach virus." She lied. Abby was pretty sure she knew _exactly_ what it was, but she wasn't a hundred percent sure. And she didn't want to worry Kate. "Go home and get some rest."

"I feel fine now!" Kate protested. "I could do some desk work."

Tony walked over to Kate and put his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, no arguing. I'll take you home."

Kate shrugged. She grabbed her things and followed him out, waving to Abby and Ducky. Ducky left shortly after, leaving Abby alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Tony pulled up outside Kate's house. "I'm glad you finally told me where you live."

"It wasn't an issue before." Kate laughed.

They looked at each other, for a moment. Both of them were thinking the same thing: would there be a goodbye kiss? Would Kate invite Tony inside? Kate undid her seatbelt, not taking her eyes off Tony.

"Thanks for dropping me home, Tony." She said, fumbling around in her bag for her keys. "Would…"

"Would?" He tried not to sound too eager, he really wanted to walk her to her door, and kiss her goodbye… or tuck her into bed and feed her chicken soup until she felt better.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked, blushing a little. Kate had no idea why she was blushing; they had already slept together. It was like their relationship worked in reverse. Sleep together first, get to know each other later.

"Sounds great."

She smiled, and the two got out of the car. As they walked up the path, Tony took Kate's hand and gave it a squeeze. They walked up to the door, hand in hand. She turned to him when they were outside the door.

"I'm afraid I'll need my hand Tony." She smiled.

"Nonsense," Tony grinned. "Women can multi task, can't they? Unlock a door with one hand and hold her boyfriends hand with the other?"

Kate raised an eyebrow. Tony rarely referred to himself in any relationship as someone's boyfriend. He noticed the slip of the tongue too, because he shrugged a shoulder.

"So you're my boyfriend now?" She teased.

"Of course," He said confidently. "I told you how it is, Katie."

She nodded. "I've waited longer than you know for you to say that."

He cupped her chin with his free hand. "Oh, Katie." He breathed, before leaning in to kiss her. Rather than their lips meeting, however, Kate turned her head away at the last moment and unlocked the door. "Hey!" He protested. "What-"

"Sorry, Tony," Kate smirked as she opened the door. "No making out on the front porch."

Tony's mouth fell open. For a second there, he thought Kate was kidding, but then he remembered that that was what Kate was like. Always expect the unexpected. He followed her inside, and looked around slowly. Just as he'd always imagined it. Soft, innocent 'Kate' colours. Immaculate. _Almost_ old-fashioned furniture. It was the perfect family home.

"Nice place." He said, moving away from the door. He noted that the stairs probably led to the bedrooms, as it was large enough for an average family. "Did you grow up here?"

"Yes."

Tony nodded. "Exactly how I thought it would be."

Kate hung up her coat, and took Tony's from him. "How were you 'expecting' this?" She asked, hanging his up next to hers.

"Because," he said, putting his arms around her waist. "I _know_ you, Kate. This is a family home. It's got _you_ written all over it."

"That doesn't make sense." Kate said, snuggling into Tony's chest.

"It does to me."

Kate grinned. "Would you like something warm to drink?" She asked. "I can make a mean hot chocolate."

Tony laughed. Kate took his hand and led him into the kitchen. "A _mean_ hot chocolate, huh? I guess I'll have to try it."

She smirked. "Well, anyway…" She paused when she heard the phone ring. She walked over to it and picked it up. "Hello?"

"_Kate!"_ Abby answered cheerfully. _"I have your test results."_

"Oh, really?" Kate said, taking two mugs from the cabinet. "Can you tell me when I come back in on Monday?"

"_Sure,"_ Abby said. _"I didn't think it would be that wise to tell you over the phone anyway. Well, I have to go. Gibbs is coming and he doesn't look pleased. Oh! And speaking of Gibbs, he told me to tell you that Tony has to stay with you until you're feeling better."_

"Oh, alright." Kate smirked at Tony, who was sitting at the table, reading a magazine. "See you later, Abby."

She replaced the phone and finished making the hot chocolates. She brought them out to the table and set one down in front of Tony, before taking a seat opposite him.

"What did Abby want?" Tony asked, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Nothing really." Kate said, smiling. "Nothing important, anyway."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "If you say so."

She just smiled. "Do you like your hot chocolate?"

* * *

Abby stared blankly at the four tests in front of her. All four read positive.

'_Poor Kate,'_ Abby thought sadly. _'She's at such a good place in her life right now… she doesn't need this to drag her down.'_

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear McGee walk in. He stopped in front of her desk, and opened his mouth to speak… when he noticed what she was looking at.

"A-Abby? What are those?" He asked.

"Pregnancy tests." Abby replied. Then she looked up, and her eyes widened. "Tim! You aren't supposed to see these!"

McGee looked hurt. "They aren't… yours, are they?"

Abby looked him in the eye, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, no! Tim! No, they aren't mine!"

"Then-"

"Kate."

McGee raised an eyebrow. "And the father?"

Abby looked at him, bewildered. "If you can't figure that out, then-"

"If he can't figure what out, Abby?" Gibbs was back, and in his hand he was holding a large Caf Pow for Abby. She accepted it happily.

"We were just talking about the case," She said, tucking the tests into her desk drawer with her free hand. "No leads yet, sorry Gibbs."

"I knew it would be a quiet day." Gibbs muttered, before heading out again. He stopped by the door. "You two may as well take the rest of the day off. I'll call you in if you're needed."

He left the lab, and the two turned to each other. McGee reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two tickets. "I have two tickets to that play you wanted to see, Abby."

Abby's mouth fell open. "Tim! Oh, how on earth did you manage that? That play is always, _always_ sold out!"

McGee went red. "I know a guy who owns that particular theatre. Anyway," He offered his arm to Abby, and she took it with a huge smile. "How about we grab some lunch, and then see the play?"

"Oh, Tim, I would love to!" She beamed, and kissed him on the cheek.


	6. Everyone knows

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Here's the next chapter. Chapter 7 may be a couple of days later than I had planned, because I have a pretty hectic week: job interview Wednesday, work Friday, formal Saturday... but nevertheless I'll try getting it up ASAP. I've really enjoyed writing this story so far, but I'm not too impressed with how I wrote parts of this particular chapter. Anyhow, I'll leave it up to you to decide what you think of it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Everybody knows.**

Less than two hours after Kate had invited him into her house for the first time ever, Tony found himself snuggled up quite comfortably on the couch with Kate. A movie was playing on the DVD player but Tony hadn't really been focused on it, and Kate had fallen asleep, her arm draped over Tony's chest.

He thanked his lucky stars that she had stopped throwing up. Maybe she had eaten something bad, and had food poisoning? Well, whatever it was, Gibbs had ordered that Tony remained with Kate until she was certain she could work properly. Not that he had any intention to leave, anyway.

After a while though, Tony's arm was starting to ache, and he thought that Kate would be better off in her own room. He managed to ease himself out of her embrace without waking her up. The tricky part would be getting her up the stairs and into her room. He didn't even know where her room was!

'_Oh well,'_ Tony thought to himself as he gently lifted her off the couch. He was amazed at how light she was. _'I'll find her room when I get up there.'_

Tony had no problems getting her across the landing, but carrying her up the stairs would be a challenge. Not only did he need to hold on to her, and be sure that he wouldn't drop her, but he also didn't want her to hit her head on any obstacles. Like a wall, or a door.

Tony snorted. "Just like _Just Married_."

He started up the stairs. _'Not as tough as I thought,'_ He smirked to himself as he reached the top. He hadn't dropped Kate, or hit her head, so he considered that a small success. _'Now, to find her room.'_

He found it easily enough. There were three bedrooms upstairs, two of them were furnished exactly the same: creamy white coloured walls with a closet and a double bed. The bedside tables on each side of each bed both had small lamps, and the patterned curtains (Tony wanted to retch when he saw them) were not pulled.

When he opened the third door, he could instantly tell it was Kate's. The walls were a very light pink; so light in fact that if you looked twice you could almost mistake it for the same cream colour in the other rooms. The room was laid out the same, but there was also a desk in the corner with a laptop and a few books on it. This was obviously the master bedroom, and thankfully the curtains matched the rest of the room's décor.

Tony made his way over to Kate's bed, and put her down as gently as he could. When he was sure she was comfortable, he lay down on the bed beside her, and watched her.

"For someone who was trying to get me up here comfortably, you sure made a great fuss." Kate murmured, not opening her eyes.

"Kate!" Tony was startled. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." She replied. "From what I heard you don't like the curtains in the guest rooms?"

Tony resisted the urge to snigger. "They look… different, that's all."

Kate opened her eyes, and smiled. "You were never good at lying."

Tony shrugged, and took her hand. "I wasn't lying. Just… animating the truth."

"I keep meaning to get them replaced, if that makes you feel better." Kate grinned. She propped herself up and looked at him.

Tony watched Kate. She seemed like she was thinking of what to say next. He noticed how pale she looked compared to when they were downstairs. He shrugged it off, thinking it was the lighting in the room.

He thought differently when she suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, Kate, no, not-" He barely had time to protest as Kate emptied the contents of her stomach all over his new suit.

* * *

On Monday, Tony could only watch with concern as Kate staggered into the bullpen. Because Gibbs and McGee were at their desks, he couldn't rush over to her like he wanted to. But he seriously thought that she didn't look well enough to work, even though when he left her house on Sunday evening she felt fine, and hadn't thrown up since she had ruined his suit.

"Morning Kate." McGee said, looking up from his computer. "Congratulations, I heard your news."

"My news?" Kate repeated, ignoring the two other heads in the bullpen that seemed to snap up from their respective desks.

"Oh… er, I was thinking of someone else. Sorry." He hid behind his computer.

Kate raised an eyebrow. She turned and walked back towards the lift. Gibbs decided to make himself known.

"Where are you going, Agent Todd?"

"To see Abby," Was the response he got. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lab.

Tony turned to McGee. "What were you saying about Kate?"

"Nothing, Tony. It was a slip of the tongue."

"Aha! So it _was_ about Kate?"

"DiNozzo! McGee! I hate to interrupt your lover's quarrel, but the two of you have work to do!"

Tony shrugged, and returned to his computer. But what McGee said was bugging him. He admitted that it was a slip of the tongue, but he had told Kate otherwise.

And now Tony wanted to know. He got out of his seat and made his way over to the elevator. McGee called out to him, "Tony! Don't do it."

* * *

"Wow!" Abby laughed, taking a sip of her Caf Pow. "You really threw up on Tony?"

Kate nodded. _She_ didn't seem too proud of it. "Not my finest hour, Abs."

Abby just snorted. "That's a great accomplishment if ever I saw one." She saw the look on Kate's face and grimaced. "Right… well… you came here to find out what's wrong with you."

"That's right."

Abby nodded. "Well, you may not like it."

"Abby, could you please tell me why I'm sick?"

The Goth shrugged her shoulders. "You're not sick, Kate. You're pregnant."

Kate stared at Abby for a moment, half expecting her to start laughing, before telling her she just had a small stomach virus. But no laughter came.

"Y-you weren't kidding?" Kate said at last, when the expression on Abby's face hadn't changed in almost two minutes.

Abby shook her head. "Sorry, Kate. We tested the urine sample you gave us on four different tests, and all four came out positive."

Kate took a deep breath. Then she screamed.

* * *

Tony was standing outside the doors to the lab when he heard a scream. And it sounded quite like Kate's. He furrowed his brow, thinking that Abby and Kate would be the only two down in the lab this early in the morning. He _had_ seen Kate come down here with his own eyes, after all.

The doors slid open, and he walked in. Abby was consoling Kate, who was crying onto the Goth's shoulder. They hadn't noticed him come in; otherwise Kate probably wouldn't have said the following:

"Abby, what should I do? If I tell Tony I'm pregnant then he'll never look me in the eye again."

"Eh?" Tony heard himself 'say' before he knew it. "Kate's what, now?"

Abby looked up at Tony. "How long have you been listening?" She asked.

It took Kate a little longer to realise that Tony was standing behind her. When she turned around and saw him standing there, her face paled.

"How long have you known, Kate?" He forced himself to ask. His brain felt like a slushy; everything was all mixed together.

"Kate's known for about a minute longer than you have, Tony." Abby said coldly. "It is more of a shock to her than to you, I daresay."

Abby opened her mouth to speak again, when the lab door opened and Gibbs came in, followed closely by McGee. Gibbs stopped at the sight of a furious Abby, a confused Tony and a hysterical Kate. He raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"We've just received some… shocking news." Tony said.

"'_We'_?" Abby snorted. "It's your fault, Tony!"

"How is this my fault?" He retorted. "These things take two!"

"Okay, enough." Gibbs snapped. "What the hell is going on here?"

Kate freed herself from Abby's grip and turned to Gibbs. "In just over seven months, Gibbs, I will need to take a considerable amount of time off work."

"Do you have a valid reason, Agent Todd?"

Kate gave Gibbs a glare that could rival his own glares, and snapped, "Is a baby valid enough reason to request leave?" She stomped off, pushing past them deliberately as she did so.


	7. Slippers and Suspension

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Tony could hear the sentence in his mind that Gibbs was about to say, even before he said it, but he didn't care. He slipped in between Gibbs and McGee and raced out the door after Kate.

She was sitting on the floor by the elevator, her head in her hands. When she heard Tony come through the door, she looked up at him. She didn't say anything though.

"How did this happen?" He said.

Kate shrugged. "Did you really use protection, Tony?"

Tony was surprised by the question. He thought that it had been covered already. He thought about it again, thinking he already knew the answer, when suddenly he remembered… when he had been dating that blonde girl, he had run out of condoms. If the situation the two were now in was not so serious, he would have found it very amusing.

But it was not funny. It was quite serious.

"… I didn't, Kate. I'm really sorry." He felt her gaze on him, and he looked away. He couldn't look at her. Abby had been right. Everything that had happened had happened because of him.

Kate got to her feet, and watched Tony. His face was burning with shame. She was scared, because a baby was a huge commitment, and in her line of employment, it was bound to end her career. She looked down at the ground when she saw Gibbs coming from the lab.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on here, you two?" He asked, looking from Tony to Kate. "How did this happen?"

"Well, Gibbs, I believe it starts when a man and a woman…"

"Enough of your smart remarks, Agent Todd!" Gibbs barked. Behind him Tony grinned and gave Kate the thumbs up. She smiled, despite what was happening.

"Boss, if I may cut in…" Tony stepped in between the two quickly and turned to his boss. "This wasn't planned or anything."

Kate's mouth fell open. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. _'There goes DiNozzo, trying to earn brownie points again…'_

That changed when Tony added, "But I intend to stick by Kate, no matter what happens."

* * *

Abby and McGee were sitting in the lab, listening to Gibbs. From what they could hear, he had threatened to fire Kate and suspend Tony.

"All this over a baby?" Abby said to McGee. "Isn't he being a bit too unrealistic?"

"I can't really say." McGee answered. "Imagine what a baby would do to Kate's career."

"Apart from end it?" Abby said, turning on her computer. "But if she wants a baby, and with Tony, then she's got it."

The lab door opened and Tony walked in. His expression resembled that of a kicked puppy. McGee and Abby watched as he walked over to them.

"Well?" McGee asked.

"Well what, Probie?" Tony nearly snapped. "Kate and I have been suspended; me for two weeks, Kate for three because we 'violated' rule 12."

"Why did Kate get three weeks?" Abby asked.

"Because she's pregnant." Tony and McGee replied simultaneously.

Abby grimaced. "Poor Kate. And anyway, Gibbs is being totally unreasonable!"

"I know." Tony said, rubbing his hands together. "We just won't invite him to the wedding."

"Wedding?" Abby gasped, grabbing McGee's arm. "You're getting married?"

"It's a possibility." Tony replied, running a hand through his hair. "Kate's catholic, and I don't know what the rules are about having children and not being married."

Abby snorted. "Rules?" She shook her head and sat down at her computer. "You're useless, Tony. Why don't you go and take Kate home… look after her for the next fortnight. Go to see her doctor with her."

"Anything else, madam?" Tony asked, exasperated.

"No getting married without us being present!" Abby said, grinning.

"Look after her, Tony." McGee advised, but Tony blocked his ears, mentioning something about 'not taking advice from the Probie', and then walking out.

* * *

Kate was waiting by Tony's car, and smiled slightly when she saw him coming over. "Did you really mean what you said earlier?" She asked him as he gave her a smirk.

"Of course, Katie." He kissed the top of her nose, and grinned inwardly when she giggled. "Baby or not, I'm going to stick by you."

Kate frowned. "But Tony, a baby is such a big commitment. I mean, we haven't even been seeing each other that long."

"It doesn't matter." He said, unlocking his car and opening the door for her. "If you want to keep the baby, then I'm behind you. One hundred percent."

She got into his car, and waited for him to get in before she replied, "I'd keep the baby, even if It wasn't what I originally wanted."

He was about to ask why, but then he realised. "You don't believe in abortion?"

Kate nodded. "I was brought up to believe that abortion is a sin."

Tony nodded, not knowing what to say next. It was not until they were halfway to Kate's house that another word was spoken.

"Tony… what are we going to do?" Kate asked. "About… you know, living arrangements."

"What do you mean?"

"Um…" She started. What was she trying to say? "When the baby is born." She had no idea why she said that; what she had wanted to say went more along the lines of, 'Should we move in together?'. But there was no way in the world she could suggest it. Yet, anyway. Although she was over the moon that Tony had taken the whole baby thing so well, she didn't want to push him. They had been dating for less than a fortnight.

"We'll see how things go."

Kate was disappointed, but she smiled at Tony. She couldn't expect too much from him too quickly. Nothing else was said until they were outside Kate's house.

"Would you like to come in?" Kate asked as she rummaged through her bag for her keys.

"Actually," Tony said, turning to her. "I…"

She cut him off. "It's okay. I understand if you don't want to."

He rolled his eyes. "Actually, what I was going to say – no, ask – was…"

"Was?"

"Would you mind too much if I stayed?"

Kate's mouth fell open. "Stay? Stay _over_?"

"Yes, Kate, _stay over_. Stop sounding like a gawky teenager."

She laughed. "I'm sorry, but I _feel_ like a gawky teenager. I didn't think I'd hear it from you so soon."

Tony stroked her hair. "Well, I'll head back over to my place and get some things. In the meantime, why don't you make us one of your _mean_ hot chocolates?"

She felt so happy, she wanted to burst.

* * *

Kate was on the phone when Tony returned, about an hour later. She ended the conversation and went to see him. She had left the door unlocked for him, and he was standing in the hallway with several overnight bags by his feet.

"Tony, how much stuff exactly did you bring?" Kate asked, dumbfounded.

"About two weeks worth, I hope." He replied with a wicked grin.

"Two weeks worth?" Kate repeated, a wary smile on her face. "Tony, you should have told me you intended to stay longer! Now I need to go shopping…"

Tony winked at Kate. "That would have spoiled the surprise. Why don't we go down to the supermarket now?"

"Okay," Kate said, still amazed by Tony's behaviour. "Let's take your things upstairs, and I'll change into something more comfortable."

"What's wrong with what you're wearing now?"

Kate smirked. "Being pregnant and wearing heels aren't a very good combination, I've heard. My back actually hurts, now that you mention it."

Tony rolled his eyes. He would never be able to understand women properly. He waited in the hallway while Kate went upstairs to change. She returned five minutes later, wearing a pair of dark jeans, a light pink top (which, Tony noticed, showed a hint of cleavage) and a pair of…

"Slippers, Kate?" Tony laughed. "You're wearing _slippers_ to a supermarket?"

Kate shrugged a shoulder. "I've been in my pyjamas before." She replied nonchalantly. "Nobody looks twice."

"Not in my neighbourhood…" Tony muttered under his breath as he followed her out the door. He waited outside while she ran back in to get her keys and purse, and while she was gone he had a look down the street. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, not that he was expecting anything. It was just a normal middle-class street. The houses appeared to be similar, and all the front lawns were neatly trimmed, all the flowerbeds were immaculate, and all the cars were blue, red or silver. There was one exception: the black sedan parked directly opposite Kate's driveway.

Kate came out, smiling at Tony. "You ready to go?" She asked, putting her sunglasses on.

He nodded, and unlocked his car. "Ready when you are."

They got into the car, and drove off. If Tony had been looking in the rear-view mirror – which he hadn't been – he might have noticed the figure getting out of the sedan. But it hadn't crossed his mind, and he had more important things to worry about. Like spending the next fortnight with Kate.


	8. Bugged

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: I was supposed to post this yesterday, before the formal... but the day was such a disaster! But, on a different note, I'm thrilled at the response the black sedan got! I wasn't originally planning on putting it in at all, but I'm glad I decided to. Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"I'll take the shopping inside," Tony offered when he pulled into her driveway an hour later. "You go inside and put your feet up."

Kate shrugged. "I've never heard of a male who would take the groceries inside. I'm a lucky girl."

Tony winked at her. "You better believe it."

Kate went inside, and Tony grabbed the shopping from the back of the car. As he was walking up to Kate's door, he looked across the street. The black sedan he noticed earlier was gone. Shrugging it off, he walked inside. Kate had been waiting for him inside. Her hands were on her hips. She slapped him. It was only then he noticed how deadly she looked.

"What was that for?" Tony asked, rubbing his cheek.

"You looked in my journal!" Kate exclaimed.

"What?" Tony cried. "Where did that come from?"

"I went upstairs to put my purse away just now, and it was sitting open on my bed!" Kate said, walking past him and closing the door. "I didn't leave it there when we went out, so it must have been you!"

Tony's mouth opened and closed. "Kate, why would I look in your journal?"

"I don't know," Kate replied sarcastically. "To read what I wrote about you?"

"You wrote about me in your journal?" Tony grinned. "And what did you write, Kate?"

"You know, you read it!" Kate replied, turning red.

Tony shook his head. "Kate, I swear, I did _not_ read your journal. I have not been into your room since I took you upstairs when you fell asleep."

Kate paused. "Well…"

"Kate, who in your street owns a black sedan?" Tony suddenly asked.

"No one," Kate replied irritably. She turned and walked into the living room; Tony followed her. She sat down on the sofa and Tony sat next to her.

"There was a black sedan parked outside before we left."

Kate turned to him. "What are you trying to say?" She asked. "That my house was burgled while we were out shopping, but the person only came inside to read my journal? That's laughable."

"It's not laughable, it's possible. Kate, how many people do you know on this street?"

"Everyone," Kate replied. "They've been here since we moved in when I was a girl. And they would _not_ break in to read my journal."

Tony rolled his eyes. He had been telling the truth; he had not read Kate's journal. He had more respect for her than that, but the black sedan was bothering him. While it could have belonged to someone visiting another person who lived down this street, he wanted to make sure.

"How many of them know you are a federal agent?"

"None."

They sat in silence. Kate was looking at her fingernails, and Tony was looking around the room. "So you think I did it?" He finally asked.

"… no. I just find it difficult to believe that someone on this street would come in here." Kate said, taking Tony's hand. He pulled his hand away, and got up. He walked over to the coffee table, and examined the flower arrangement.

"Nice flowers," He said, looking at the sunflower. It didn't seem right, somehow. Artificial, even. "You arrange these?"

"Yes."

"I thought you were allergic to sunflowers?" Tony asked.

"I am."

He looked at the arrangement more closely. The sunflower was a fake, yet the rest of the arrangement was made of real flowers. Shaking his head, he muttered "Bugged," under his breath, before tipping the vase on to the floor. The vase smashed, and the flowers went everywhere.

"Tony!" Kate yelled, jumping to her feet. "What is wrong with you?"

Tony knelt down, and grabbed the sunflower. He took it over to Kate, who looked at it strangely. He pulled from it a tiny black round camera. It would have been smaller than the pupil of an eye.

"Impossible!" Kate breathed. "Is that a camera?"

"It is," Tony said, reaching for his cell phone. "I'm calling Gibbs."

"And tell him what?" Kate asked, incredulous.

"That your house has been broken into and bugged?" Tony suggested angrily, pressing the speed dial to Gibbs' cell phone.

"_Yeah, Gibbs."_ Came the reply.

"Hey, boss, it's Tony. You aren't going to believe this…"

* * *

Kate didn't think that it was possible for anyone to get to her house as quickly as Abby did. Tony had been off the phone maybe 20 minutes when Abby came running through the door.

"Kate! Tony! Are you two alright?" The Goth said quickly. "Gibbs told me what happened."

"We're fine." Tony reassured her. "Just…"

"Just?"

Tony looked over at Kate, who was lying on the sofa, staring blankly at the wall. "Well, can we possibly stay here? Whoever bugged this house knows Kate's a federal agent, her journal was lying open on her bed when we got back."

"Which means they probably know of her current condition, too." Abby said thoughtfully. "Gibbs mentioned having a couple of people monitoring the house over the next few days, so why don't the two of you stay with me? You can't go to your place Tony, you need someone with you."

"Better than staying with Probie." Tony said, nodding.

"Er…" Abby smiled slyly. "McGee's staying over, actually."

Tony's mouth fell open. "You're kidding. Why don't we invite Gibbs and Ducky and we can have a gay old time?"

Abby frowned. "Great idea, Tony! Only, if someone's out to get you or Kate, that will cause too much attention."

Tony nodded. He went over to Kate, and knelt down beside the sofa. "You alright, sweetheart?"

He ignored Abby's "Awww!", and took Kate's hand. She looked at him, and he was shocked at how pale she was.

"Tony…" She said quietly. "You don't think it's… Ari… do you?"

Tony froze, wanting to kick himself for forgetting the ordeal Kate went through with Ari when he held her hostage in Autopsy. He touched the side of her face and smiled at her. "If it's Ari, I'll make sure he doesn't get anywhere near you."

She smiled back at him. "… what do we do now?" She asked after a while, looking up at Abby.

Abby grinned down at her. "You're coming to stay with me for a while."

Kate didn't reply. The aspect of staying over at Abby's would have thrilled Kate normally, but she was shocked at what had happened recently.

"C'mon, Kate," Tony suggested with a smile. "Let's go get your things ready."

He held out his hand to her, and she took it. The two left the room, Abby needlessly mentioning that she'd wait downstairs. Ten minutes later, Tony and Kate were ready to leave. Abby thought they might leave in her car, so they didn't attract too much attention by leaving in three cars. It was about half an hour to Abby's house. Kate didn't say much, but Abby and Tony talked to each other quietly about what had happened.

"I'll have to go back to work," Abby said as they pulled up outside her place. "But Gibbs has sent someone to look after you two until I get back… that'll be about 7:30 tonight."

Tony looked at his watch. It was just after 1:00pm. "Alright, I'll look after Kate until you and Probie get here,"

Abby grinned. "Alright, have fun!"

Kate and Tony went into Abby's house. They had been there before, so they knew how to let themselves inside.

* * *

Over the next month, both Kate and Tony's houses were monitored, and since that was the case, the two of them alternated between staying with Abby, McGee and Ducky. Gibbs told the two that, in light of recent events, their suspension would be terminated and they would be allowed to return to their jobs… on the condition that for the first two weeks they were not to leave their desks. No fieldwork.

At the end of the two weeks, Gibbs came up to the two one night while they were eating dinner over their desks. Well, McGee had barely brought it in when he came over to them.

"Tony, you can return to doing field work in the morning." He said. He started to walk away when Kate interrupted him.

"Gibbs, what about me?"

Gibbs paused, and turned back to Kate. "I'm sorry Kate, but in your current condition, I think it's best you stay here."

Tony and McGee could only wince and try to keep themselves out of view as Kate let all hell loose on Gibbs.

"Must be the hormones."


	9. Nightmares

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I must say, the plot has taken quite a turn lately... I'm not going to say anything else, apart from please read and enjoy!

* * *

**Nightmares.**

"_Are you sure you're alright, Kate?"_

"Yes, Tony," Kate smirked. It was the third time had called her that evening, to make sure she hadn't been kidnapped or killed. At first, it was sweet, but Kate was soon starting to get annoyed. She blamed the hormones. "I'm fine. I'm going to have a bubble bath now, and go to bed."

"_Oh, a bubble bath…"_ Tony sighed into the phone. The only reason he wasn't with her right now was because he had to work late, and the only reason Kate wasn't at work was because Gibbs let her have the day off. Some time to herself. She spent the morning down at the mall, looking at The Baby Factory. Abby had recommended it. _"I'd love a bubble bath, Katie."_

"As far as I'm aware, they don't have baths down at the office, Tony." Kate laughed. "I'll see you in the morning."

"_Goodnight Kate."_

Kate hung up the phone, and looked around her room. She was still afraid. However, she had told Gibbs and Tony otherwise. She told them that she would be fine to go home alone. She went into the bathroom and ran the bath. Tonight she would be able to try and relax.

* * *

_Kate pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. She looked at the house. From the outside, it looked like it had been abandoned a long time ago. She left her gun and cell phone on the passenger seat, and got out of the car. Locking it quickly, she walked up to the front door and knocked three times._

_Just like he told her to. The door opened, and he was standing there._

"_Caitlin." He greeted her._

"_Ari." She replied coldly. She would never forget when he held her, Ducky and Gerald in Autopsy. She could never forget his eyes._

_He looked out into the empty street, to make sure there was no one lingering, then pulled her inside. He closed the door just as quickly as he opened it, and locked it._

"_About our phone conversation." Ari said, taking a seat on the sofa._

"_You want to turn yourself in?" Kate asked._

"_I am not a terrorist, Caitlin." He said, taking a sip of wine. "I wish to explain that to you."_

_Kate snorted. "You expect me to believe that. You've kidnapped me twice now. How do I know that this isn't a repeat? Only this time, you mean to kill me. Is that it?"_

"_Look at me," He said, holding out his arms. "I am unarmed. Do not anger me, Caitlin."_

"_There is nothing you can say to me that will make me believe you are not a terrorist!" Kate snapped. "You told me you had plans to bring down Air Force One."_

_He stood up, clearly shaking with anger. "Do _not_ anger me, Caitlin. It will not be good for you."_

_She rolled her eyes. "It's evidently too late for that."_

"_Damn you!" He swore, grabbing her by the neck. She gasped in surprise, not expecting him to move so quickly. He pushed her roughly against the wall. Kate bit her lip when her head smacked against the wall._

"_Let… me… go…" She hissed._

_He smacked her face. "I told you not to anger me. Now, you will pay."_

"_But," Kate said quickly – as quickly as she could, considering his hand was wrapped firmly around her neck – "Didn't you… want to… negotiate?"_

"_Not anymore."_

_Kate's insides froze up, because she could feel Ari's hands roaming her body. She tried to kick out with her leg, but that just earned her another smack in the face. He pressed his body to hers, and she wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out._

'Why did I decide to wear a skirt today?' _Kate's mind screamed at her as she felt his cool fingers on her thigh. She had goosebumps, and her whole body was shaking. But still his fingers continued to move upwards._

_It dawned upon her that Ari had her against the wall, and he wasn't holding her against the wall… strictly speaking. In a last attempt, she used her knee to try and cause him some pain._

_And it worked. Ari stumbled back, his hands covering where she had successfully kneed him. She used this opportunity to try and get out. She ran out of the living room to the front door, not thinking to stop and listen, to see if Ari was coming after her or not. She grinned triumphantly as she listened to him groaning._

_Her luck ran out when she reached the door. It was heavily locked, nothing like the usual locks she had seen on a front door. And the words weren't in English. She let out a desperate moan._

"_You should never have agreed to meet me alone, Agent Todd."_

_Kate turned slowly, and there he was again. Only, this time, he was pointing a gun to her forehead. Her eyes widened in fear, thinking it was the end._

_The last thing Kate remembered was Ari's voice saying, "Goodbye for now, Caitlin."_

* * *

_Kate's eyes opened slowly, but for a while she lay there, motionless. Her heart seemed to be beating alright, which meant she was still alive. And she wasn't inside anymore. The ceiling of the dark house she had been in with Ari Haswari earlier did not have clouds._

_She was in terrible pain. That much she could tell without moving. Every bone in her body, every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire. She sat up slowly, and looked around. She was in a garden. The garden of the house Ari had lured her to. She felt so stupid. She had no idea what condition she was in, and she had no idea what Gibbs was going to say when she arrived back at the office in the state she was in. Her lunch hour was more than over. She suspected it was late in the afternoon._

_She checked herself quickly. There was no gunshot wound, but there was blood. Her nose didn't feel broken, nor did any other bones. Her clothes looked like they had been taken off roughly, and then put back on quickly, because they were quite tattered. Rape was the first thing that came to mind. After all, when they had been in the house, hadn't he tried to…?_

_Kate realised she had to get out. She figured that Ari would have left some time ago, and that it was possible that he may have left some form of explosive. But, on the other hand, it was possible that he was still inside, so if she wanted to get out alive, not only did she have to move quickly, but quietly as well. She got on her hands and knees and crawled slowly around the side of the house, stopping with a start when she thought she heard movement. After what seemed like an eternity, she was around the front of the house, and she could see her car. The first thing she would do when she got to her car was get in on the passenger side, so if anyone was looking out the window they couldn't see her, and the second thing she would do would be to turn on her cell phone and call Gibbs._

_Kate stayed by the edge of the house for 20 minutes, before deciding the coast was clear and she could crawl over to her car. When she made it, and realised no one had seen her, she burst into tears. She was crying with relief, over managing to escape, and she was also crying because of the whole situation. It never had to happen. Kate should have discussed it with Gibbs before she took any action. She opened the door slowly, and slid inside. She grabbed her cell phone off the seat, and looked at it. She had left it on. 14 missed calls. 10 from Gibbs, two from Tony and two from McGee. She pressed the speed dial for Gibbs' cell phone, and waited._

"Kate!" _The reply came almost instantly. _"What the hell is going on? We put a BOLO on you; you've been at the same place for over four hours!"

_Kate nodded. "Gibbs, you aren't going to like this. I met up with Ari Haswari… and I got into a tight spot. A very tight spot."_

"I'll ask you about the details later, Agent Todd." _Gibbs replied coolly. _"Are you injured?"

"_Not only that…" Kate said, tearing up again. "I think I may have been raped."_

* * *

When Kate opened her eyes, she found her pillow was wet. She had been crying. She switched on the lamp, and sat up. She was in her room, and she was not injured. This meant that what she thought she had experienced was just a dream.

Or rather, a nightmare. Reliving the nightmare she had gone through 10 weeks ago. She had received a call on a secure line at work, from Ari. She was told to meet him at an abandoned house in Alexandria to negotiate the possibility of him turning himself in. When she arrived, however, he became violent. She didn't want to remember it all, but as she reached over to turn the lamp back off, another thought struck her.

Instead of reaching for the lamp, she reached for the phone, and dialled the number.

"_Yeah, Gibbs."_ Came the surprisingly awake voice of her boss.

"Gibbs, it's Kate." She said quietly.

"_Kate? Is everything alright?"_

She paused for a moment. "Gibbs… I think I may need a paternity test."


	10. Director Shepherd's Ultimatum

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Next chapter is here, and earlier than I anticipated. Please enjoy!

* * *

Kate was waiting outside the 24-hour Starbucks at 3am, just like Gibbs had asked her to. It was cold, and it looked like it might have started snowing then and there. Kate had her red coat on and a black scarf wrapped around her neck. It was nearing 3:05am before Gibbs' car pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, and Gibbs looked at her.

"Morning, Kate."

She got into the car, and he drove off. Two coffees were sitting in the cup holders, Kate was surprised to see.

"Gibbs… I had that nightmare again. The one about Ari."

Gibbs gave Kate a small smile. "That explains the hysterical phone call."

"Gibbs," Kate said firmly. "I'm Catholic. I don't believe in abortion, and I don't believe in having a baby out of wedlock. I need to know that the baby isn't Ari's."

"I thought you said he didn't rape you." Gibbs turned to her, his eyebrow raised.

"I said I didn't know." Kate corrected him. She took one of the coffee cups from the cup holders and took a sip. "I told you everything that happened. You are the only other person in the world that knows." She looked down. "Gibbs, I _need_ a paternity test. I'm not raising a terrorist's baby. I just won't do it."

Gibbs went around a corner, and Kate held a hand over her mouth. She had never been able to get used to Gibbs' driving.

"How about an amnio?" He suggested casually as he passed through a red light.

Kate gaped at him, mainly because of the fact that he had just run a red light. She hoped that the intersections weren't monitored by security cameras. "What's an amnio?"

"It's a test. It's called an amniocentesis." Gibbs explained, speeding up to make it through another set of lights. "It's actually a test that you take to determine whether the baby has any genetic or hereditary problems, but it can also determine paternity."

Kate took a deep breath. "How does it go?"

Gibbs shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know much about it. It involves a needle."

Kate shuddered, and took another sip of her coffee. "Great. I _hate_ needles."

Gibbs grinned. "I heard it's a big one."

* * *

Gibbs was surprised when Kate came in to work the following morning, coming in slowly behind Tony and McGee. She looked tired. Gibbs had dropped her at her house at 4am, telling her that she didn't need to come in to work if she didn't feel like it.

Kate sat down at her desk, and McGee came over. "You don't look too well, Kate."

Kate smirked up at McGee. "Morning sickness."

His eyes widened considerably, and he walked away. Tony just laughed. He sat at the edge of Kate's desk, and stroked her hair. "How are you this morning, Katie?"

"Tired, and sick." She laughed. "I didn't think morning sickness lasted up to two months… but I'm going to go and see my doctor this afternoon. Did… you want to come with me?" She asked, looking up at him hopefully.

He took her hand, and nodded. "Of course I do."

She smiled, and returned to the file that was sitting on her desk. "What do you say to dinner tonight? I'd like to cook you something."

Tony grinned. "I'd like that. I'll bring over a bottle of… sparkling grape juice."

Kate giggled, and Tony went over to his desk. Less than an hour later, Director Morrow came down from his office and went straight to Gibbs' desk. Kate, McGee and Tony watched with interest, and tried to pick up pieces of their conversation, but they didn't hear anything. The Director went away again, and Gibbs called them over.

"What's going on boss?" Tony asked.

"Director Morrow has been offered a new position." Gibbs said. "He's actually resigning from NCIS today. We'll be meeting the new Director, he says, this afternoon. You three need to be here."

"No field work today, then?" Kate asked, returning to her desk. "At least I'll have someone to talk to."

As the afternoon went on, it became more obvious to Kate that she should have stayed home today. She was extremely tired, and was fighting to stay awake. She fell asleep on one occasion, and her timing couldn't have been worse. She was asleep at her desk when the new Director was brought in. Tony and McGee looked up as the woman came out of the elevator with Morrow. She had fiery red hair that was pulled into a bun, and she wore a light coloured suit. Director Morrow cleared his throat, and said to Gibbs, "Special Agents Gibbs, DiNozzo, McGee, meet Jenny Shepherd, the new Director of NCIS."

Gibbs, who had previously been looking at the screen by his desk, turned around. "Jen?"

Jenny smiled and held out her hand. "Hello again, Jethro."

McGee and Tony exchanged glances at the awkward exchange. Morrow looked around, and asked, "Where is Agent Todd?"

Tony cleared his throat nervously, and pointed to Kate's desk. Morrow and Jenny looked down at Kate, then at Gibbs.

"I can explain that." He said. "If you would follow me, Director."

Morrow took his leave, and Jenny followed Gibbs away from the team. They went to Jenny's new office, and Gibbs closed the door behind him. He sat down in the chair opposite the Director's chair, the one Jenny was currently sitting in.

"It's been a while." Jenny said, smiling. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you." Gibbs said. "I didn't think you'd be the one to take on an office role. You were always the… hands on type." He said, choosing his last words carefully.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well…" She trailed off. "Anyway, you had something to say about Agent Todd?"

"She's two months pregnant." Gibbs said. Jenny's mouth fell open. "She's not working the field, before you say anything. It's… been quite a rough ride around here, to say the least."

"She needs to be replaced." Jenny said quietly. When she saw the look on Gibbs' face, she said, "I'm not going to fire her, Jethro. From what I understand, she is unable to work properly for the next seven months, and will require an extra six months maternity leave. So you will be one agent short on the field for 13 months."

Gibbs saw her point, but he didn't like the fact that Kate would not be around. Considering Kate's past with Ari, he wanted to make sure that she was always safe. He had a strong suspicion that Ari was the one behind the bugging of Kate's house last month, and he didn't know if Kate thought that too, but he wasn't about to worry her more than she needed to be.

"Will her job be returned to her after she returns from maternity leave?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, I can guarantee that Agent Todd will be able to have her job back as soon as she wants it back." Jenny replied. "Her leave will begin tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Gibbs exclaimed. "How can she live on no income for the next 13 months?"

"I'm sorry, Jethro, but I can't do anything about it. I'm sure her husband or boyfriend will be willing to help her."

Gibbs sighed. Jenny filled in Kate's leave form and gave it to Gibbs. He practically snatched it from her hands, and stalked out of her office.

* * *

Kate was awake by the time Gibbs returned from Jenny's office. She was actually getting a glass of water from the water cooler. She looked confused when he walked straight over to her desk and put a folder on it. She hurried over and grabbed it. She read over the piece of paper in it, and groaned rather loudly.

"Gibbs, what the hell is this?" Kate said, throwing the folder on his desk. "You can't legally do this!"

"I'm sorry, Kate." Gibbs said. "But Jen… Director Shepherd, has insisted that you take the next 13 months off."

"You can't legally do that!" She exclaimed. "It's just because I'm pregnant, isn't it?"

Gibbs nodded. He felt sorry for her; but Jenny's reason to ask Kate to stay home for a while was justified. While Director Shepherd couldn't legally prevent Kate from coming into work, Kate had already been doing paperwork and it was pretty much all done, so Kate would have had nothing to do.

"I'm sorry Kate," Gibbs repeated. "My hands are tied."

She sighed. "I'll pack up my desk, then."

Kate returned to her desk, not giving Gibbs a chance to say anything. She was in the middle of packing her things into a box when Tony and McGee returned from the lab. Tony's mouth fell open when he saw what she was doing.

"What's going on?" He asked immediately.

"The new Director has _insisted_ that I remain at home for the remainder of my pregnancy." Kate said bitterly. "So, including the six months maternity leave I'll have after the baby is born, I won't be working for the next 13 months."

"That's illegal." Tony said, looking in the direction of the Director's office. "She could resign you to doing office work, but she can't stop you from coming into work. You're under Gibbs' employ, not hers."

"But Gibbs is under _her_ employ." Kate retorted. "Don't worry about it, Tony. Just make sure you visit often."

She snapped the lid down on her box, and was about to leave, when she heard her name being called. Standing at the steps to MTAC and the Director's office was Gibbs and Director Shepherd.

"Agent Todd, I would like a word, please."

Kate walked away from Tony towards the Director, her expression unreadable. Gibbs returned to his desk, and Tony returned to his.

In the Director's office, Jenny turned to Kate. "Agent Gibbs and I have had a discussion, and he has mentioned certain events involving you and Ari Haswari."

"What did he say?" Kate asked. Originally, she had been irritated at the aspect of losing her job, and then Gibbs' betraying her trust and telling Director Shepherd about the situation with Ari, but now her hormones had swung in a completely different direction. She felt like she had no fight left in her, and would resign herself to whatever fate Director Shepherd was going to give her.

"He told me everything. And before you say anything, Kate, I am thankful that he told me. You need to be protected. I've reconsidered what I said before, and I think it would be better for you to be here."

"How kind of you." Kate said irritably.

"How would you like to act as a temporary assistant for me?" Director Shepherd asked, ignoring Kate's comment. "I need one, and I currently don't have one, so I was thinking that you could act as a temporary assistant instead of doing paperwork downstairs. How does that sound to you?"

Kate smiled. "It _does_ sound better than paperwork."

Jenny smiled too. "Good. You can start tomorrow."


	11. Abby's message

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: I was having a look at the stats of this story earlier, and I was surprised to see how well it's going! A big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

"Oh, I am so glad I let you convince me to let you give me a backrub." Kate moaned as Tony's hands rubbed her shoulders. "That feels _so_ good."

"I'm glad you like it." Tony grinned, placing a kiss on the back of her neck. "Feeling any better?"

"Unbelievably." The two were sitting in Kate's bath, and he was giving her a backrub. Kate had lit some candles, and the two had enjoyed a romantic evening at home. Tony had cooked, and Kate had chosen a DVD to watch. Now, they were enjoying a backrub in a bubble bath, and Tony was staying for the whole weekend.

Jenny Shepherd had been at NCIS for close to four weeks, and the tension between her and Gibbs was very noticeable. Everyone knew it, but no one discussed it. Kate wasn't sure whether she enjoyed working for Jenny directly, but it was a very different atmosphere from downstairs with three other men.

"You're nearly through your first trimester." Tony said, kissing her neck again. "Are you nervous?"

"A little." Kate admitted. She hadn't told Tony that she had an amnio booked for the following morning. If the results were the ones she was hoping for, then there was no reason that Tony ever needed to know. "I'm not so nervous, knowing you're with me."

Tony smiled. "Kate?" He asked.

"Yes, Tony?"

"I… I love you, Kate."

Kate grinned. She turned around so she was facing him, and kissed him. "I love you too, Tony."

He stroked her hair. "Are we spending the day here tomorrow?" Tony asked, kissing her cheek. He just wanted to hold her, because he knew there was nothing wrong. He loved Kate, Kate loved him back, and they were going to have a baby together.

"If you like." Kate replied, resting against him. "I have an errand to run in the morning, though. You may not even be up then. But for the rest of the day I'm all yours."

"Where are you going?" Tony asked. Kate winced inside; she didn't want to tell Tony.

"It's a secret," She teased, attempting to throw him off.

Tony just rolled his eyes. "You women and your secrets. Well, I might as well take the time to go into the office and pick up something."

"What?" Kate asked.

Tony grinned. "It's a secret."

* * *

Just as Kate had told him the previous night, when Tony woke up in the morning, she was long gone. Her side of the bed had even been made, and she had left him a note.

_I'll be back around 11. Don't make any plans for lunch._

_Love you._

_P.S: Make the bed!_

Tony grinned, and got out of bed. He headed for the shower. 20 minutes later, he was dressed and on his way to work. The traffic on the road was rather light, and he was there sooner than he expected. When he walked into the bullpen, he was surprised to find that it wasn't empty like it usually was. Director Shepherd and another woman were standing by Kate's desk, and Tony was shocked to see that the woman had a box. Full of things.

"Good morning, Agent DiNozzo." She said. The dark haired woman turned around, and looked at Tony.

"Director." He said, heading over to his desk. "Didn't expect to see you on a Saturday morning."

"I'm just showing Officer David her new desk." The Director said, causing Tony to turn around and look at her.

"But that's Kate's desk."

Director Shepherd raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Kate is working for me for the next five and a half months, remember Agent DiNozzo? Officer David is temporarily taking her place so that Agent Gibbs is not one person short on the field."

The dark haired woman held out her hand to Tony. "Ziva David."

Tony shook her hand reluctantly. "Anthony DiNozzo. You can call me Tony."

The two looked at each other for a moment. Tony knew it was going to be weird coming in to work every morning and seeing Ziva, not Kate sitting opposite him.

Ah well. He'd have to get used to it. He turned back to his desk again and looked through some paperwork. He stuffed it into his bag, as well as the real thing he came into work for; the card for the flower company Kate loved so much. He was going to order her a bunch of her favourite flowers, then go back to her place and enjoy the rest of the weekend on a mini cruise. He walked towards the elevator, whistling, when Director Shepherd called out to him.

"Tony! Can you ask Kate to ring in when you go back to her place? I need her help with something in the morning."

Tony turned on his heel and shook his head. "Sorry, Director. No can do." He smirked. "Kate and I are going on a 2-day cruise. See you all on Tuesday."

He walked out, grinning at the shocked expressions he imagined were on the two women's faces.

* * *

Kate's eyes opened slowly, and she found herself staring at a white ceiling. For a moment she didn't know where she was, but the strong smell of cleaning chemicals in the room brought her back to reality. She was at the hospital, and she had just had an amniocentesis. She had asked the doctor not to explain to her how the procedure worked, but the pain in her lower stomach was killing her, and she wanted answers.

The door opened, and in came her doctor. Kate quite liked her; she was a friendly woman, who Kate suspected was in her early fifties. She was a bit plump, but she had a kind face and Kate had always trusted her face. She had been coming to her for as long as she could remember.

"How are you feeling, Kate?" The doctor asked.

Kate groaned in reply. "What happened in the procedure?"

The doctor – Karen - laughed. "I thought you didn't want to know." Kate shook her head. "Well," Karen said. "An amniocentesis is the removal of fluid from the amniotic cavity."

"But why am I in so much pain?" Kate winced.

Karen sighed. "We inserted a fine needle through your abdomen into your womb," She explained. Kate turned pale. "The fluid contains cells that have shed from your babies skin. Usually women undertake this procedure to determine whether or not there are any abnormalities… but it can also be used to determine paternity. Since you requested it, I will send the cells over to your lab at NCIS in approximately two weeks."

"Why does it take so long?" Kate said miserably.

"Well, the cells are extracted and cultured." Karen said. "Two to three weeks are a sufficient amount of time for the cells to grow, so an analysis of chromosomes can be made."

"But I'm almost three months along!" Kate protested. "Wouldn't that make a difference?"

Karen shrugged her shoulders. "I would much rather have performed this procedure when you were at least _four_ months along."

Kate sighed in defeat. She tried to sit up, but Karen rushed over to her and pushed her gently back on to the bed. "Don't think you're going anywhere."

Kate groaned. "What time can I leave? I'm meeting my boyfriend at 11!"

Karen snorted. "I don't think that'll be happening."

"But I have to meet Tony at 11…" Kate said, sighing. "Can I call him then?"

Karen nodded, and handed Kate her bag. Kate rummaged through it and pulled out her cell phone, and dialled Tony's number.

He picked up almost immediately. _"Hey, Katie."_

"Hi Tony." Kate couldn't keep her disappointment out of her voice.

"_What's wrong?"_

Thinking quickly, Kate replied, "Something's come up. I won't be able to meet you at 11." She didn't want Tony to know where she was.

"_Oh. Well, that's alright, because I got a little caught up at work. You up for a late lunch then?"_

"Sure. See you around 2, at my place?"

"_Sounds good. See you then."_

Kate turned off her phone, and lay back down. Karen's orders were to get some sleep, and if Kate wanted to be out of the hospital and meeting Tony by 2pm, she would need to get some rest.

* * *

Tony was waiting in the kitchen when Kate came home. It was a little after 2pm, and Tony had decided that he would make lunch for the two of them.

"Tony?" He heard her call from the hallway. "Are you here?"

"Yeah," He replied, as he served their lunch on two plates. "In the kitchen."

Moments later, Kate appeared, and her mouth fell open when she saw what Tony had done. He had cooked scrambled eggs on toast, with two glasses of orange juice. On the table was a bunch of Kate's favourite flowers.

"How did your thing go?" Tony asked, ushering Kate over to the table and sitting her down. She couldn't help but smile at the attention.

"Great." She lied. She was still feeling a bit of pain from the procedure, but had taken some painkillers, so it wasn't bothering her as much as it had been before. "What happened at work?"

Tony sat down opposite her, and shrugged a shoulder. "I just had to pick up something. Director Shepherd was there, with your… er, temporary replacement."

He knew instantly that he should have thought that sentence over before he said it. Kate's expression faltered for a second, and she looked away from him. "Oh. What's he like?"

"… _she_ is… I don't know, Kate," Tony said. "She isn't you, that's for sure. I don't want to go into work every morning and not see you."

"I'll be at work." Kate said, trying to smile. "I'll just be upstairs."

Tony nodded. "Still won't be the same."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You can always come up and see me."

He leaned across the table and kissed her cheek. "I'll be sure to."

* * *

In the end, Tony and Kate weren't able to go on the mini cruise they had planned. On Monday morning, Tony rang in to tell Gibbs that the two weren't coming into work anyway, so they had the day to themselves. They decided to get out of bed at about 11am, and Kate was in the shower when the phone rang.

"Tony, can you get that?" Kate called from the bathroom.

"Sure," Tony replied. He got out of bed and went off in search of the phone. He didn't make it in time, but he heard the message that the caller left.

"_Hey, Kate, it's Abby… I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it and hope Tony isn't around listening…"_

Tony was startled by that comment, but listened on.

"_A woman named Karen rang me this morning… said she was your doctor. She told me that she's sending the results of an amniocentesis over here for me to analyse in a couple of weeks. I know you, Kate. Your family doesn't have any history of child abnormalities. And I'm pretty sure Tony's family doesn't either… which means you're unsure of the paternity of your baby. _Kate!_ What's going on? Call me as soon as you get this!"_

The message ended, and Tony stood there, as still as a statue. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He played the message again, just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Then he pinched himself. It hurt, which meant that he wasn't dreaming.

And the message was true.

"Who was it, Tony?" Kate came into the kitchen, wrapped in a towel. She was drying her hair with another towel. "Tony?" She asked again when he didn't respond. He just pressed the button on her machine, and the message played through again.

Kate paled. Tony was just looking at her. "It's not what you think…"


	12. Results

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

"If it's not what I think, then what is it?" Tony demanded.

Kate shuddered. It suddenly seemed extremely cold in the room… then again; she was only wearing a towel. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears… she didn't want him to find out this way. And unless the results did not turn out in her favour, she never wanted him to know.

"I didn't want you to find out this way…" She said, wringing her hands together. "I tried to push it all out of my mind, but when I found out that I was pregnant, then I…"

"You what?" Kate flinched at the tone of his voice. She felt like she had been caught having an affair… but that's what Tony probably assumed the situation was anyway.

"Tony…" She said quietly. "Just over three months ago… I…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as the phone rang again. Tony picked it up, and snapped, "Kate's place."

"_DiNozzo, put the speaker on."_ Gibbs said. Tony complied. _"Kate, are you there?"_

"… yes, I am." She said.

"_I had a word with Abby."_

"Oh, so you were in on this too, Gibbs?" Tony spat. "Oh, great."

"_Kate, smack DiNozzo for me."_ She didn't move. Tony felt relieved, but it was nothing compared to the other emotions he was feeling. Jealousy, betrayal, anger… Gibbs continued, _"DiNozzo, you don't know the half of what's happened to Kate over the past three months."_

"Gibbs, please-" Kate pleaded. She was crying openly by this point. "Don't…"

"What is it? What's going on?" Tony demanded. "Kate, please, tell me…"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Tony… I can't tell you until I know… but please believe me; I have not done anything to betray your trust. I wouldn't…"

"I trust you two will figure it out. See you tomorrow." Gibbs cut the connection rather quickly, and the two looked at each other.

"Probably the Director." Tony said, and Kate nodded. She'd do the same if she were in Gibbs' situation. Tony walked up to Kate, and took her hands. "Kate…"

She looked into his eyes, and frowned. "Tony… please, don't push me on this. I would tell you, but… I just can't. Not yet." Kate turned and left the room, wiping her eyes. Tony just stood there, dumbfounded. At this stage, he didn't know what to think anymore. He remained where he stood, expressionless, until Kate returned 10 minutes later in a light blue dress. "Tony?" She put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched. Her mouth opened slightly, but she didn't say anything. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to say anything, she bowed her head, and walked out of the room again. About a minute later Tony heard her bedroom door shut.

* * *

For the next three weeks Kate was sitting on pins and needles. As each day passed, she became more and more worried and upset; worried because she wasn't sure if she wanted to know about the paternity of the baby, and upset because Tony had not talked to her, looked at her, or made any effort when it came to her at all.

What made it worse was the fact that she was starting to put on weight. Not a lot of weight, but it really got to Kate on the morning before she was due to find out about the results of the amniocentesis. She went to her wardrobe one morning, to pick out her favourite light pink dress and matching coat but to her dismay, it didn't fit. She sat on the floor in her room, crying, until her phone rang.

"Agent Todd." She couldn't hide the fact that she had been crying, because she still had been crying when she had answered the phone.

"_Kate, it's Abby!"_ Kate held the phone away from her ear, because the Goth seemed happy this morning. And happy loud in Abby's world. _"Where on earth are you? Gibbs told me to call you. You're late for work!"_

"… oh, that's right. Listen, Abby, can you apologise to Gibbs and the Director for me? I… had a bit of a breakdown this morning. It's really nothing major. I'll be in to work as soon as I can find something in my wardrobe that fits. Gotta go."

She turned off her phone, and put it to the side. She was resisting the urge to throw it at the wall. Deciding that today was going to be a bad day, Kate decided to wear a pair of baggy grey jogging pants, and a dark blue tank top. She pulled on a pair of sneakers, pulled her wide-rimmed sunglasses out of the drawer and brushed her hair. At 8:30, although she was one and a half hours late, Kate decided that she was finally ready to go.

* * *

Abby stepped out of the lift, and walked slowly over to Gibbs' desk. It had been clear to Abby that Kate had been very upset earlier in the morning, and she wondered how she was going to pass on Kate's message to Gibbs. She wondered if he had ever put up with pregnant, hormonal women.

"Uh, Gibbs…" Abby started. The grey-haired man looked up at her. "I… just got off the phone with Kate a while ago… and, um… she told me to apologise to you and the Director. She's having a bad day."

"I don't care." Gibbs replied curtly. "Kate has a job to do, and she should be here, doing it, when the day starts."

Abby knelt down, and whispered to Gibbs, "She sounded very upset on the phone, Gibbs! Show some compassion, she's three and a half months pregnant! She started to show, and she can't find anything in her wardrobe that fits."

Gibbs paused. Yes, he had forgotten that fact with pregnant women. He was about to reply, when Tony's voice filled the bullpen rather loudly. "Wow, Kate, I know it says… dress standard optional, but…"

Gibbs looked past Abby. Kate, who had been on her way upstairs, had stopped by Tony's desk. She was wearing clothes that one might wear to a gym, or out jogging.

Her retort surprised everyone. "Get stuffed, DiNozzo." Tony's mouth just fell open and Kate stomped away. She paused at the steps and yelled at him. "Got anything else you wanna say while I'm still here, Tony?"

Tony's face remained passive. "You… have a nice day, sweetheart."

Kate said nothing. She went up the stairs to the Director's office and was soon out of sight. Gibbs looked at Abby, his eyes widened.

"I'll talk to Kate this afternoon." Abby said. She walked over to McGee's desk, and pulled up a chair. "Tim, you know I love you, right?"

* * *

When Kate left the Director's office that afternoon, she was surprised to find Abby was waiting for her. Everyone else in the office had gone home for the afternoon.

"Why are you still here?" Kate asked, embarrassed by her performance that morning.

"I'm taking you shopping, Kate!" Abby replied, beaming.

"I don't want to go shopping." Kate said. What she _really_ felt like doing was going home and curling up into a ball, but it didn't look like Abby was going to give up.

"Don't you dare blow me off!" Abby snapped. "I ditched my plans with Tim for a romantic evening out so I could cheer you up! Now, we're going to have a muffin and a cappuccino, and then we're going to buy you some comfortable clothes!"

Kate's eyes widened. She had rarely seen Abby this angry. "Alright, we'll go shopping."

Abby grinned. "Great! Let's go!"

* * *

Kate was satisfied with what Abby had helped her pick as far as maternity clothes went, and so the next morning when she went to her wardrobe she chose a light blue turtleneck sweater, a pair of black pants and a matching coat. Her stomach was barely noticeable, and that's how Kate liked it. She drove to work in a good mood, and when she got to her desk she found that Abby was waiting for her, smiling.

"Great news, Kate!" She said, as soon as Kate had stepped out of the elevator.

"What?"

"I received a package today." Abby said, holding up a small brown box. "And inside is your DNA. Cool, huh?" Kate's heart sank; she had completely forgotten. The two went back to the elevator, and down to the lab. "I'll run the DNA test, and from what Karen told me, two files should come up. Yours, obviously, and the father's."

Kate nodded. "How long will it take?"

"Depends." Abby moved around the lab quickly as she began to prepare the test. "From what you and Gibbs have told me, I'm going to need to run it through our database, and through AFIS."

"Could you run it through AFIS before our database?" Kate asked. She didn't know why she asked it, she just hoped that it was Tony's file, not Ari's, that showed up alongside hers.

"I can run them both at the same time." Abby typed something on the keyboard, and the test started. It took less than 10 minutes to test the DNA, and Kate had gone to get two cups of coffee while they waited. When she returned, Abby was sitting at the screen.

"Kate, the test's finished. I didn't open up the files, because it's not my business… … you know what to do."

Abby patted Kate on the shoulder, took one of the coffees and left the lab. Suddenly Kate felt very alone. She put the coffee down by the computer, and sat at the chair. Reaching for the mouse, she clicked on the left hand file. She wasn't surprised to find that it was her own file. She paused when the mouse hovered over the right hand file. Taking a deep breath, she clicked on the file, and it opened. The picture of the man looking back at her had brown hair, and dark eyes. She released the breath, and ran from the lab.


	13. Unexpected Visitors

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

To Kate, the elevator seemed to take forever to open. She stepped out and looked over at the bullpen. Gibbs was sitting at his desk, Tony and McGee were talking quietly, and Ziva was sitting at Kate's desk, fuming silently at the computer. Gibbs happened to look up at that moment, and saw Kate standing there, looking flustered.

"Kate?"

She walked numbly over to him, and he caught her as she collapsed into his arms, crying. "Oh, Gibbs, it's finally all over."

"You found out the paternity." Gibbs said quietly. He felt her nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She pulled away from him, and he looked into her teary eyes. Her whole face had changed; she was smiling like nobody's business. "It's Tony's." She said happily, pulling her boss into a hug. "It's Tony's, it's not Ari's… I can't believe it."

Tony and McGee were too far away to hear the conversation, but Ziva's hearing was perfect, and she could _just_ make out the conversation. She heard her brother's name, and mentions of 'paternity'. Kate had been unsure of the paternity of her baby? There was a possibility that it could have been Ari's? She grinned wickedly, and excused herself from the room.

Gibbs ruffled Kate's hair, and nodded at Tony. "I think Tony deserves that explanation now."

Kate nodded. She wiped away her tears, and turned to Tony. He and McGee were now at their own desks, and Tony was absent-mindedly reading through a file. She walked over to his desk, and put her hand over his. "Tony…"

He looked at her hand, then up at her face. Her eyes were red from crying, but her face was calm. "Yes, Kate?"

"Do you remember me asking you not to ask me about the reason for me having the amniocentesis?" She asked. He nodded, and she could see the pain in his eyes. "I need to tell you the reason now… if you want to hear it."

"Kate…" Tony said sadly. "Don't think you have to justify yourself to me."

Kate flinched. She wasn't expecting that kind of reply from him. But, if she didn't explain to him, then she might lose him forever. She couldn't raise their child on her own. She pulled a chair up to his desk and sat down. "Tony… the reason I needed to get the amnio was because…" She started to cry again. She didn't want to bring up the past because it involved Ari, and it still hurt her to think about it, let alone talk about it. "Tony, just over a week before we slept together… I received a call from Ari Haswari." His mouth fell open. "He told me to meet him to discuss the possibility of him turning himself in. I didn't have any back up. I didn't have my gun, or my cell phone. When I got there, things turned nasty. I was injured, and also…"

Tony squeezed his eyes shut. He could hear the sentence in his head, even though she hadn't said it yet. It all made sense to him now.

Ari had raped her. Kate was still talking, but the words were not registering in Tony's head. Ari had held Kate against her will, and had his way with her, and from what she was saying, he had left here there to die. Tony silently thanked his lucky stars that Kate had managed to escape.

He realised then that Kate had finished talking, and was looking at him. "So that's why you took the paternity test." He said slowly. "And… you found out the results?" Kate nodded, and Tony could feel his insides turn to ice. He didn't want to know that the baby wasn't his. He didn't think he could cope with the fact that it wasn't his.

Kate smiled at him. "Tony, the baby is yours."

* * *

Ziva made sure there was no one around when she made her phone call. She dialled her brother's number, and he picked up straight away.

"Ziva?"

"Do you know a woman called Kate?" She asked, pausing as a man walked past her hiding place. She was crouched behind the stairs that went up to MTAC and the Director's office.

"Caitlin? Yes, I know Caitlin."

Ziva made sure she was in the shadows, and dropped her voice. "She is pregnant, you know." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Please tell me you have not been with her."

"… how did you find out about this?" Ari asked. The mortification in his voice was clear to her.

Ziva couldn't blame him though. He was only human. "I heard her talking to Gibbs about a paternity test." More silence. Ziva shrunk back as Tony and Kate walked past, hand in hand. "Ari?"

It turns out that Ziva wasn't as discreet as she thought. 'Ari' had barely escaped her lips, when a tall shadow fell over her. She looked up into the eyes of her co-worker.

"Give me that phone." Tony said sharply. "Now, Ziva." She shook her head. "Give it to me, and I will not mention to Gibbs who you were talking to. Or Kate, for that matter. I'm sure she would have something to say about it."

Ziva struggled to her feet, and dropped the phone into Tony's hand. He put it to his ear. "Yes, Ari? Ziva will have to call you back. She's just been busted talking to a terrorist." He turned the phone off, dropped it to the floor, and stomped on it.

"That was a gift from the Director." Ziva hissed, pushing past him. Tony straightened his tie, and went off after Kate.

Kate was sitting at her desk when Tony came in. "Kate, I want to see the Director."

"You can't, she's in a-"

"Why don't you tell her that her friend Ziva is communicating with a terrorist?" He said icily.

Kate's mouth fell open. She reached for the phone, and dialled for the Director. "Director Shepherd? … Yes, I know you said you were in a meeting… I'm sorry… Special Agent DiNozzo is outside…" Tony smirked at her formality. "… said it was imperative… okay, I'll send him in."

Kate replaced the receiver, and smiled up at Tony. "The Director will see you now." She said in her best receptionist voice. Tony winked at her, and went into the Director's office. She was sitting at her desk, talking to two men. When Tony came in, she apologised to them and asked them to wait outside for a moment.

"What can I do for you, Special Agent DiNozzo?" The Director asked curtly. "Kate said it was imperative that you saw me."

"Well, Director," Tony said, taking a seat opposite her desk. "I don't know what grounds you hired Ziva David under, but were you aware that she knows Ari Haswari?"

The Director shook her head. "Unless this has a point, Agent DiNozzo, I would prefer it…"

"I caught Ziva making a phone call just now." Tony interrupted her. "To Ari. She may have mentioned Kate."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any proof?"

"No, but-"

She smirked, and raised an eyebrow. "Then you shouldn't go around making assumptions."

"Ziva was hiding behind the staircase!" Tony snapped. "You don't hide behind staircases to make regular phone calls!"

The Director sighed. "If it makes you feel better, Agent DiNozzo, I will keep an eye on Ziva. If I see any irrational behaviour, I will talk to her about it. In the meantime, would you please ask Special Agent Gibbs to come and see me in half an hour?"

Tony realised he was being dismissed. He left the Director's office in a huff. He didn't even talk to Kate on his way out.

* * *

Gibbs walked up the stairs slowly, his mind reeling from what Tony had told him. If Ziva had indeed been talking to Ari, then it was possible that she had told him about Kate's condition. He opened the door to the Director's office. Kate was sitting at her desk, and the door to the Director's office was shut. Kate looked up at him and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Gibbs asked her.

Kate shrugged a shoulder. "I feel like a blimp."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "I notice no change in your appearance."

"Easy for you to say; you aren't the one carrying the baby and putting up with all the changes." Kate laughed. "Anyway, I'll tell the Director you're here." She picked up the phone, and dialled for the Director. "Director Shepherd? … Yes, Special Agent Gibbs is here… okay, I'll send him in." She replaced the receiver. "You can go in now."

He thanked her and went in. Kate took that time to go downstairs and get herself a coffee. She paused when she saw Ziva standing by the coffee machine. Gibbs had put the coffee machine there, and everyone took advantage of it. Ziva heard Kate coming, and turned around to face her.

"Listen, Kate…" Ziva began, but Kate shook her head.

"I don't want to hear it." Kate said firmly. Ziva looked at her, before grabbing her cup and walking away. As Kate was waiting for her coffee, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What did Ziva say?" Tony whispered into her ear.

"I didn't give her the chance to say anything." Kate said, grabbing her cup. She turned to Tony and smiled. "Are you coming over tonight?"

Tony grinned, and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

When Tony arrived at Kate's house that evening, he found that she was just serving dinner. She was dressed in a dark red dress, which Tony found jaw dropping. He wolf whistled as he walked into the kitchen.

"Love the dress," He commented, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.

"I try," She teased. "Anyway, dinner is way too hot to eat now, so I thought we'd have a glass of wine while it cooled down?"

Tony winked at her. "You meant sparkling grape juice."

Kate grinned. "I keep forgetting."

"You sit down, I'll get two glasses." Tony said. Kate went to sit on the sofa, and he poured two glasses of grape juice. He took them over to the sofa and sat with Kate. He gave her a glass, and they clinked glasses. "Cheers."

"Cheers." She smiled, and they both took a sip. Kate put her glass on the coffee table, and Tony followed suit. She snuggled up against him, and he could smell her strawberry shampoo.

"Tony, I was thinking…" Kate said quietly. She was tracing her finger up and down Tony's chest; in particular she was playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"What about, Katie?"

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "I think we should move-" She paused when there was a loud knock on the door. "Huh. Who would turn up now?" Kate wondered aloud. She (reluctantly) got up off Tony, and walked to the front door. She counted to three before she opened it.

"Hi, Katie darling! Long time no see!"

Kate's mouth fell open. "Mom… Dad… c-come in."


	14. Tragedy

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Kate wanted to kick herself; she had forgotten that her parents were coming down from Indiana to stay for a month. It was a thing they did every year. How could she have forgotten?

'_There go our plans for a nice evening…'_ Kate thought to herself, before hugging her mother. "Hi, mom! How was the flight?"

"Awful!" Kate's mother, Sarah, replied loudly. "The prices keep going up."

"That would be because of the high fuel costs, my dear." Her father, Hugh, replied.

Sarah looked Kate up and down. "Have you put on weight?" She asked suspiciously.

"Mother!" Kate whined. "Honestly. Go and put your things upstairs. Tony and I were just about to have dinner. You can join us."

"Who is Tony?" Hugh asked, smirking.

"Tony is…" Kate began, but stopped when she heard Tony's voice.

"Hey, Kate, who was…" He said, walking into the room. But he stopped dead when he saw her parents standing there.

"This is Tony, then?" Hugh asked. "Nice to meet you, son. I'm Hugh, Kate's father." Hugh held out his hand, and Tony shook it. "And this is my wife, Sarah."

Tony held out his hand, assuming she might shake it, but she just looked at him. "Nice to meet you, Sarah." He just said, shrugging at Kate.

Kate smirked. "Mom, Dad, go and put your things upstairs. I'll serve dinner."

Hugh led a rambling Sarah away, and Kate turned to Tony. "Tony, I'm so sorry… I forgot they were coming down. They do this every year, but with everything that's been happening lately, it just completely slipped my mind."

"It's okay," Tony said, kissing her on the forehead. "How long do they normally stay?"

Kate looked down. "They'll be here for a month."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Right."

"Sorry, Tony." Kate repeated.

"Well, it's not that that I'm worried about…" Tony said. He put an arm around her shoulder and they walked back into the kitchen. "You'll definitely be showing by the time the next month goes by." Kate paled. "And since your family is Catholic, they'll be ordering a wedding as soon as they find out."

"I can't send them away." Kate said. "I guess we'll just have to tell them."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked worriedly.

"Yes." Kate said. "I can't hide something like this from them. But… we won't tell them tonight."

Tony agreed whole-heartedly with that.

* * *

The month that Kate's parents stayed, the subject hadn't been brought up again. The day before they were due to leave, Kate's mother approached her while she was making dinner.

"Now, Kate, I would like to have a word with you."

Kate looked up; she narrowly missed chopping off her finger. "Yes, mother?"

"Don't think that your… condition has escaped my notice." Kate expected her mother to explode, but she was smiling. "The aspect of becoming a grandmother is actually quite exciting."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was just… trying to find the right time." Kate said. She returned to chopping up the potatoes.

"That's alright. I was the same with my mother."

"You were?" Kate asked, looking up again. Sarah had never let Kate in on much of what had happened in her life; she just wasn't the type.

"Mm-hmm."

The two stood there for a while, in silence. It was only when Tony came in that anyone spoke again. "How's dinner coming along, Katie?" He asked, grinning.

"Quite well." Kate said. "I was just talking with mom, Tony."

"Oh?" He froze.

"It's alright, Tony." Sarah grinned at him. "I've known for a couple of weeks now."

"Oh… well, that's okay then." Tony said, smiling again. "Because I told Hugh while we were out at the court."

Hugh came in a few moments later, holding a bottle of wine. "I bought some of this to celebrate." He said. "Only, Kate, you can't have any."

Kate rolled her eyes, and returned to the dinner. Sarah and Hugh went out to get something before dinner, which left Tony and Kate alone.

"Kate, I was curious about something." Tony said. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "You were starting to say something before your parents arrived… I've only thought of it now, but what was it?"

Kate turned red. "Well… I was thinking… that since we're going to have a baby together… we could discuss the possibility of… moving in together?"

"I was thinking about it too…" Tony admitted. Kate smiled. "Maybe we could talk about it once your parents are gone?"

"Sure."

Sarah and Hugh returned just on time for dinner. Tony poured two glasses of wine for them, got himself a bottle of beer from the fridge, and got some juice for Kate. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw the arrangement.

* * *

Kate took the following day off so that she could spend it with her parents. Tony had already left for work by the time she woke up, and she went downstairs to find that her parents were eating breakfast.

"Morning," Her mother greeted her. "I made you eggs."

"Thanks." Kate said gratefully, sitting down. Her father was reading the newspaper, and her mother had switched the television on, but wasn't watching it. "Did you two sleep well?"

They both said yes. Sarah suggested that she went baby shopping with Kate that morning, as she had noticed how there wasn't anything baby related in the house. Kate started to complain, but Sarah made a good point by saying that if Kate left it too much longer then she wouldn't do it. She was almost at the halfway point in her pregnancy, and pretty soon she wouldn't feel up to leaving the house.

So the three of them set off for The Baby Factory around 11am. Kate's father drove her car, and she sat in the back. Her mother talked all the way to the store, and as a result Hugh almost crashed the car when he went to park it. Kate had her gun hidden out of sight. Her parents did not know her real occupation, and lately she had become paranoid that Ari was waiting around the next corner she turned. And if that were ever the case, she would be ready to get out her gun and put an end to her pain.

"Let's go inside." Sarah suggested, glaring at Hugh. They went inside, and started looking around. Kate found an adorable cot that she was ready to buy straight away, but her mother stopped her.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"Katie, did you see the cost of this cot? You can find a nicer, cheaper one."

Kate sighed. "Mother, I have more than enough money. Besides, whatever the cost of this is, Tony agreed to pay for half."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Sarah wandered off to look at baby clothes, and Kate wondered just _what_ Sarah was trying to warn her about. She next went in search of a buggy. She found a nice, sturdy one with three wheels. Kate figured that she could go running with it and have no problems. The material was dark blue, and the baby seat itself looked quite comfortable. Kate added that to her list and continued. Two hours later, she had brought the cot, the buggy, a car seat, two packets of nappies, some baby powder, several toys, and a box to put those toys in. Things like the cot and the buggy were going to be delivered to her house in the next week. They loaded all the gear into the boot of the car. Kate turned to her parents. "How about we go and get some lunch? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Sarah mumbled that she'd pay, but Hugh didn't reply. He was looking at something behind Kate. Kate looked at him. "Dad, lunch?"

"That woman has a gun…" Hugh said suddenly. "Get down!"

The first shot hit Kate's car. Sarah screamed and dropped to her knees, then onto the ground. Around them, people had heard the shot and were screaming. Trying to get out of the area as quickly as they could. Just as Hugh pushed Kate down, a second shot fired. Kate hit the ground, and the bullet sailed over her head. Moments later, her father was on the ground next to her. Kate screamed; she could see where the bullet had hit him, just under his right lung. Kate scrambled to her feet, her fury driving her. She pulled out her gun and shot three rounds in the direction of the shooter. She heard a muffled groan. The area was completely deserted, except for Kate, her parents, and the woman she had just shot. She ran across the street to where the woman had been, to find her lying there, clutching her shoulder.

Their eyes met, and Kate recognised her instantly. "Ziva?"

She swore in Hebrew, and reached for her gun. But Kate was one step ahead. She pointed her own gun at Ziva's head. "First the conversation with Ari, now this?" She yelled. "Did Ari make you do this?" Ziva said nothing. "Tell me!" Kate screamed. All she wanted to do was to blast Ziva's head off and go to check if her father was still alive… the gunshot wound looked pretty bad. Ziva nodded reluctantly.

Kate knelt down and slapped her in the face. "Just you wait until Gibbs hears about this." She threatened. "Then you're going to wish that my aim had been better." Kate reached into her bag, and pulled out the cuffs she carried around with her. She put one around Ziva's wrist, and then pulled tightly. "Get up."

Ziva got to her feet with great difficulty, and walked a couple of steps with Kate to an iron fence. Kate put the second cuff around the bar of the fence. When she was sure it was secure, she ran back across the street, to where her parents were. Sarah was at Hugh's side, crying hysterically. "Hugh… open your eyes, _please_ open them… Hugh!"

Kate stopped, and looked down at the scene before her. Her father was lying in a small pool of blood, and his face was pale. His eyes were lifeless, and his whole body seemed limp.

Kate dropped to her knees, unable to stop the crying. Her father had taken the bullet that had been meant for her, and now he was no more.


	15. Loyalties

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: A huge thank you to everyone who is reading this! Over 100 reviews, and 30+ alerts for this story! You guys keep on rocking! Enjoy!

* * *

Gibbs' cell phone rang, breaking the silence in the office. Kate was not in today, as her parents were returning to Indiana that evening and she had requested the day off to spend time with them, and Ziva had called in sick, so it was just McGee, Tony and Gibbs.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He answered.

Tony looked over at McGee, who was typing up something. "Hey, Probie. How about we grab Abby and the three of us go out for lunch soon? I'm bored. There hasn't been a case in a while."

McGee opened his mouth to answer, when Gibbs suddenly spoke. "Pack it up, you two. There's been a civilian shooting in town. A man was killed."

"But, boss," Tony said. "If it's civilian, then it's not our problem."

"We're going to go and investigate it anyway," Gibbs said. "After all, the call was made to NCIS."

Tony and McGee got their guns, and badges, and followed Gibbs to the elevator. "Hey, boss, how come you didn't ask me to gas the truck?" Tony asked, as she elevator doors shut.

"Because, DiNozzo, like I said earlier, the shooting was in town. It wouldn't be more than 15 minutes from here." Gibbs replied.

Gibbs, being the faster driver, took the wheel. He made it there in just less than 10 minutes. When the car stopped, Tony looked out the window. They were outside a baby shop. Local police had sealed off the area, and the small crowd weren't anywhere near the site. He got out of the car, and walked over to the ambulance. Sitting inside was a hysterical woman. And what made it worse was that he knew the hysterical woman.

"Sarah?" He asked.

She looked up at him; her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was pale. "Tony… why are you here?" She shook her head. "I suppose you are one of those federal agents too then?"

"Sarah, what happened here?" Tony asked. "Where are Kate and Hugh?"

At the mention of Hugh's name, Sarah burst into tears again. Tony clambered into the back of the ambulance and put an arm around her.

"Hugh is dead." Sarah cried hysterically. "He was shot by the bullet that was meant for Kate."

Tony froze. "Sarah… I'm so sorry. Where is Kate?"

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. She caught the woman that shot Hugh, and handcuffed her to a fence across the street. Tony, my own daughter didn't tell me what she really does for a living."

"I'll talk to you in a second," Tony said. "I need to find Kate."

Tony hugged her again, and got out of the ambulance. McGee and Gibbs were there. "What?" Gibbs asked.

"Kate's father." Tony said. Gibbs sighed, and McGee gaped at Tony. "Also, Sarah Todd says the woman who shot him is across the street. Kate managed to catch her."

"Tony, go and talk to Kate." Gibbs said. "I'll come and we'll deal with this other woman."

The two crossed the street, leaving McGee to attempt to console Sarah. Kate was sitting on a bench, her head in her hands.

"Kate!" Tony yelled. "Kate!" He ran over to her, and hugged her. She cried into his shoulder.

"Tony…" She sobbed. "Dad is dead. He's dead, and I'm the one that was supposed to die."

"Don't you dare say that." Tony said, hugging her tightly. "This was an accident."

"No, it wasn't!" Kate cried. "Look and see for yourself who _she_ is!"

Gibbs went over to the woman who was chained to the fence. Her free hand was grasping at where Kate had shot her, and her long hair was covering her face. Gibbs pulled back her hair, and raised an eyebrow.

"Ziva."

* * *

Tony took Kate and her mother back to her house in her car. Gibbs and McGee saw to Ziva, and then to Hugh. Kate didn't want to leave her father lying there, but in the end decided it was best that they were away from that right now. Kate and Sarah were not talking, which made things all the more awkward.

Kate blamed herself. If only she had not let things get out of hand with Ari, then Ziva would not have tried to kill her. And her father would still be alive. Everything that she thought of made her cry even more; the fact that her father would never become a grandfather and the fact that he would never get to walk her down the aisle.

Tony watched her from the corner of her eye. Every time she appeared to be deep in thought, she would start crying again. He could imagine what she was thinking about: life without her father. Sarah was sitting in the back of the car, her cheeks soaked with tears. She was staring blankly out the window.

The journey back to Kate's house was a quiet one. Not a word was spoken between the three. As soon as Tony pulled into the driveway, Sarah got out. Her sadness and frustration was shown by how hard she slammed the door. Kate turned to Tony, and wiped her eyes.

"Do you have to go back to work?" She asked him.

Tony shook his head, and took her hands in his. "No. My main priority is _you_ right now."

Kate stared at her hands, which were in her lap. "… I don't know why I didn't tell them. About being a federal agent." She added when Tony looked confused. "I suppose it was for the same reason why no-one on the street knows. What happened today? Ziva was ordered to kill me. She knows Ari, and he ordered her to kill me. Because I am an NCIS agent."

"Kate," Tony said, his voice sounded pleading. "This was _not_ your fault."

"But…" Kate said. "He's dead, and the person who killed him knows me, knows I am a federal agent. Dad got in the way of the shot that Ari wanted Ziva to kill me with. And…"

"Kate," Tony soothed. "You're babbling again."

Kate didn't reply. They sat there for several minutes before she spoke again. "Tony… how am I going to live without him?"

He reached over and pulled her into a hug. He really didn't know how to answer that one. They stayed like that for a while, him holding her, until Tony's phone rang. He reached for it, and held it up to his ear. "DiNozzo."

"_Tony, it's McGee."_

"What's up, Probie?"

"_Listen, something's come up."_ McGee said. Tony couldn't help but panic at the sound of distress in McGee's voice. _"Ziva's done a runner."_

"What!" Tony exclaimed. "How can that be?"

"I don't know. The two guys who were looking after her in interrogation had their backs turned for only a second… filling in a report… when she knocked them out."

"How could she knock out two big buff guys with a wounded shoulder?"

"_Smashed the chair into the back of their heads."_ McGee replied. _"Gibbs said he saw her go north in a black sedan."_

"A black sedan?" Tony repeated. Hearing that confirmed the suspicion he had when Kate's house was broken into. Ari had been behind it. "Wait, did you say… north?"

"_Yeah, why?"_

"He could be heading here!" Tony cursed. "Listen, McGee, I've gotta go. If what you said is true and they're heading north, they could very well be on their way here. Which means we have got to get out of here."

"Okay. We'll put out a BOLO. Be careful, Tony."

"Got it." Tony cut the connection, but left his phone on. If they needed to be tracked by Gibbs then they could do so via his phone. He looked down at Kate, who was looking at him curiously.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"Kate, I need you to remain calm." Tony said. "Hear me out before you panic, alright?" Kate nodded. "Ziva managed to get away from the guys who were watching her, and according to McGee, Gibbs saw them leave in a black sedan. They were heading north."

Kate's mouth fell open. "That might lead them here!"

Tony nodded. "Which is why we have to pack up and leave here for a couple of days. I don't know what on earth Ziva's up to… how could the Director trust someone like her?"

Kate opened the car door. "I'll go and get my mother. I don't know if she'll come with us, though…"

"She may not have a choice in the matter." Tony said. The two got out of the car, and Tony locked it. "We'll have to leave your car behind. I'll grab mine from the garage."

Kate nodded. She walked up to the door and went inside. "Mom!" She called. "Mom, something urgent has come up. Where are you?"

Sarah came out of the kitchen. "What is it, Kate?" She asked hollowly.

Kate looked at her mother, who until now, had never seemed like such a stranger to her. "Mom… the woman who… who shot dad… she got away. We have reason to believe she may be heading here."

"Let them come." Sarah said fiercely. "It's because of your lies that your father is dead. But if they come here I will be ready for them."

"Mom!" Kate pleaded. "If you stay here, and she does turn up, you will end up dead too!"

"And I'll have you to thank for that!" Sarah snapped. Kate flinched. She had never had an argument with her mother on this level before. Sure, they had had their petty fights when Kate was growing up, but she never assumed that her mother would blame her for her father's death.

She sighed. "… fine. You stay here. When Tony and I come back, if you're still alive, we'll assume that it was a false alarm. But, if my fears become reality, I have nothing else to say to you but goodbye."

Kate turned and walked out of the room. She took the stairs two at a time, then regretted it when she got to the top and felt a sharp pain in her stomach. When she went into her room, she grabbed two bags from her closet, and put some clothes for her into one, and some clothes for Tony into the other. She zipped them up, grabbed her phone and headed back down the stairs. Sarah was gone. Just as Kate made her way to the door, Tony came in.

"Kate, are you two ready to go?" He asked, taking the bags from her.

"Mom's not coming." Kate said, wiping her eyes again. "She's determined that if Ziva turns up with Ari then she will stand up to them."

"She'll be killed."

"I told her that," Kate said, sighing. "She won't listen to the daughter that was responsible for the death of her husband. Let's just go, Tony. I can't handle my mother when she gets like this."

Tony didn't try to persuade her to talk to her mother again, although that's what he would have done if it were him. Tony put the bags in the boot of the car, and unlocked it. He and Kate got in, and he drove off quickly. They had been gone half an hour when a black sedan pulled up outside her house.


	16. Confrontation

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Tony's plan was to go to the airport. There, they would fly out of the country to somewhere like Australia, or Fiji – they were overdue for a vacation anyway – and return when things between Kate and her mother cooled down.

On the way to the airport, Kate filled Tony in on some of the finer details on the relationship between her and her parents over the years. She had always been her father's little girl, and she suspected her mother resented that. She loved her mother as much as she did her father, but there was always a special bond between Hugh and Kate.

Kate realised Tony's plan quickly enough. They were about 20 minutes away when she caught on. "Tony… are we going to the airport?"

"Yeah, I think we need a vacation." Tony replied with a smirk. "How would you like to sunbathe on a secluded beach down by the Coral Coast? Or visit the Sydney Opera House?"

Kate lowered her head. "But… what about Dad… and Mom… what if Mom is in danger, Tony?" She turned to him, frantic. "I could never live with myself if I were the cause of _both_ my parents' deaths."

Tony frowned at Kate. "Kate, how many times do I have to tell you-" He stopped when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her bag and looked at the number.

"It's Mom." Kate said quietly. "This is my number." She held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Ah, is that you Caitlin?"_

Kate tilted her head to the side; that was not her mother's voice. "Who is this?"

_"Ah, so Sarah gave me the right number then. Good… Caitlin, where are you right now?"_

Kate didn't answer. She looked at Tony, her eyes wide. He looked back at her, confused, but understood when she put her phone on speaker.

_"Caitlin, answer me. Or I will use the gun I am holding to put a hole in your mother's head."_

Kate gagged. Tony was quicker than she was. "Ari!" He exclaimed. "Release Sarah at once!"

"_Ah, Agent DiNozzo."_ Came the reply. _"I am afraid I cannot comply. Here are my instructions…"_

"We won't co-operate with terrorists!" Kate choked out.

_"But Caitlin, you are not in a position to bargain. Remember, I have your mother here, and one wrong move could prove… fatal."_

"What do you want then?" Kate asked. "If you release my mother _unharmed_, I might consider it."

"_I want you to return to the house."_ Ari said. _"Unarmed. Alone."_

"Not a chance!" Tony interjected. "Kate's not going anywhere without me."

"_How noble, Agent DiNozzo."_ He sneered. _"But those are my conditions. If you are not here by sunset, I will kill her anyway."_

The line went dead. Kate stared at Tony, horrified. "What are we going to do?"

Tony slammed his fist against the steering wheel. "I knew leaving her behind was a bad idea. Now, we're paying for it."

"Tony, I can't leave her there to die." Kate said firmly. "She's my mother."

"Why not?" Tony asked angrily. "Look at what she's said, what she's done!" Kate looked like she was about to kill him herself, but he continued. "You're risking your life, and mine, to rescue your mother who has abandoned you!"

"I don't need you to help." Kate snapped. "I am used to being alone."

"Kate, that woman blames you for your father's death!" Tony yelled. "Now you're willing to drop everything to try and save her! You're crazy!"

Kate raised a hand, and slapped him with all the strength she could muster. It left a red hand shaped mark on his cheek. He gaped at her. "I don't need you!" Kate screamed. "I'll go to her myself!"

Tony smirked triumphantly at her. "How, Kate? We're miles away from your house. And this is _my_ car."

Kate sighed. "I guess you're right, Tony. Let's get out things from the boot and go on a vacation." She forced a smile. "I sure would like to sunbathe in Fiji."

He grinned at her, and ruffled her hair. "There. Alright, I'll go and get a trolley for our bags."

They got out of the car. Tony walked off, whistling, to get a trolley. Kate took a deep breath – it was her only chance. She went around to the driver's side and got into the car. She locked the doors from the inside, and wound the window down. She stuck her head out, and screamed at him: "I'm never going to forget this, Tony!"

Tony turned, and his mouth fell open. Kate was driving away, in his car. He reached quickly for his cell phone, and dialed Gibbs' number.

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

"Boss, it's Tony. Kate's driving back to her house… she's taken my car. Ari's taken her mother hostage and she's going back."

Gibbs swore. _"Alright. We'll head over there… we'd get there before her anyway. Where did she leave you, DiNozzo?"_

"Reagan National Airport."

* * *

It was close to sunset when Kate pulled up opposite her house. Parked in the driveway was a black sedan, which she was expecting. The neighbour's new blue sedan was parked about 200 metres down the road. She got out of the car, and locked it. Her cell phone and gun were locked in the car. She looked across the street to her house, which was completely dark. Noting that the sun would be going down soon, Kate hurried up to her house and pulled the key out of her pocket. She unlocked the door and opened it.

"Mom?" She called, poking her head inside. "Are you there?" There was no answer. She walked inside, and pushed the door closed behind her, not noticing two figures getting out of the blue sedan. "Anyone here?" She tried again.

"In the living room, Caitlin." Came Ari's cold voice.

Shivering, Kate followed his voice. When she opened the sliding door, she gasped. Her mother had been tied to a chair, which had been placed in the middle of the room. She started to cry when she saw Kate standing there.

Kate wasn't really surprised to see Ziva standing behind her, a gun pointed at her head. She turned to Ari, who was sitting on the sofa that she and Tony had cuddled on so many nights. He was half in darkness, but she could see his eyes.

"Glad you could join us, Caitlin." Ari said, a sinister smile on his face. "Are you unarmed?"

She held up her arms, and he got up off the couch. He walked over to her, and ran his hands down her body. He paused when his hands reached her stomach, and she could imagine the smirk that was on his face. It seemed to go on forever until Sarah screamed: "You dirty bastard! Get your hands off my daughter!" His hands were gone, but Ziva smacked the back of Sarah's head with the gun. She winced, but didn't say anything. Kate looked horrified.

"I'm here now, release my mother." Kate said firmly. "As we agreed."

"Nothing was agreed on." Ziva said, a smile identical to Ari's on her face.

"But-"

"Ziva, tie her up." Ari ordered.

Ziva stepped forward, but Kate knew her house. She grabbed a vase off the nearby coffee table and aimed for Ari's head. She threw it, but he smirked and stepped to the side. It hit the wall, and smashed.

"Release my mother, and you can have me." Kate spat.

"Never!" Ari hissed. "Kill her."

"Which one?" Ziva asked, exasperated. She pointed the gun at Kate, who flinched, and put her finger on the trigger. Just as she was about to pull the trigger and put an end to Kate's life, the door burst open and Gibbs and McGee were suddenly standing there, each pointing a gun at one of the two. Gibbs' gun was aimed directly at Ari's head, and McGee's was pointed at Ziva.

"Drop your weapons!" Gibbs yelled.

Ari sighed. "Caitlin, I thought I told you to come alone? Tsk, tsk." He nodded at Ziva, and three shots were fired from three guns. Two people dropped to the floor; Ari with a bullet through his head, and Ziva with a bullet in the chest.

But what about the third shot?

Gibbs looked around, and his eyes fell on Kate, who had clapped a hand to her chest. He could see blood, and he could hear Sarah Todd's hysterical screams. Kate sank to her knees, letting out a strangled sort of moan. Gibbs rushed to her, catching her before she hit her head on the table, or landed on her stomach. "McGee, call an ambulance!" Gibbs laid Kate on her back gently. "Kate, speak to me."

He grabbed her hand – the one that she wasn't holding over the wound – and squeezed it tightly. She rolled her eyes up at him. "It's… only… flesh wound…" Kate coughed. She looked past Gibbs, at McGee, who was on the phone. She looked back at Gibbs, and he saw pain in her eyes. "Tony?"

Gibbs chuckled. "He's still a way away. You left him at the airport, remember?" She turned red. "Don't worry, I'll call him and tell him to go to Bethesda, not here."

She shrugged, and Gibbs got back to his feet. He untied Sarah, who instantly went to Kate. He took that time to inspect Ari and Ziva's bodies. He quickly became lost in thought, and as a result he almost missed his phone going off. "Gibbs." He answered.

"_Boss, it's Tony. Have you seen Kate?"_

"Yeah, I have. Listen, I need you to call Ducky. Have him bring the truck down to Kate's… Ari and Ziva will be visiting Autopsy tonight, I think. Then go to Bethesda and meet Kate there."

"_Why?"_

"Just do it, DiNozzo." Gibbs turned his phone off, and turned around to find that the paramedics were already there. He raised an eyebrow. _'Quick.'_


	17. Decisions

The Morning After  
By that belle

A/N: I'm starting to think about how I might end this now. Exciting, this is my longest and best-received story ever! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

* * *

Tony was sitting in A & E, just as Gibbs had ordered him to. He had no idea what the deal was. He just wanted to find Kate, smooth things over with her and then go back to her house and sleep.

Or take the vacation he suggested… if she ever felt like talking to him again.

'_I'm never going to forget this, Tony!'_

He sighed. In the distance he could hear the sirens of an ambulance, and wondered when Kate would be getting here. He reached for his cell phone, and dialled her number, but didn't press the 'talk' button. He just started at his phone, until the sound of the A & E door banging open brought him back to reality.

"What've we got?" A nurse ran over to the paramedics, who were pushing in a stretcher.

"Female, early 30's. Gunshot wound to chest… also, she's about 5 months pregnant."

Tony's attention was caught by that sentence. His head snapped up, just as the paramedics pushed the stretcher past him. He looked at the woman on the stretcher, and let out a choked sob.

Kate.

He stumbled to his feet, as though he had been electrocuted, and went after the stretcher. "Kate…" He mumbled. The nurse turned to him, and tilted her head to the side.

"You know this woman?" She asked him.

He could barely nod. She indicated that he followed her after the stretcher, and he did so. It was hard to put one foot in front of the other, but Tony managed to follow the nurse into an office near the ward they had taken Kate into. He filled in all the details the hospital needed about her, and was told to wait. The nurse left him, and closed the door behind her.

For the first time in years, Anthony DiNozzo felt the unfamiliar feeling of tears.

* * *

Abby was sitting in her lab, listening to loud music, when her phone rang. She switched off her music and answered it. "Hello?"

"Abby, it's Gibbs. I need you to go down to Bethesda Naval Hospital. You should find Tony there already."

"What happened?" Abby asked. She didn't like the stressed tone in Gibbs' voice.

"We managed to get to Kate's house before anyone was killed." Gibbs said gravely. "But Kate was shot by Ziva. She should be in ICU now."

It took all of Abby's willpower not to scream. "What? Gibbs, why wasn't I told sooner?"

"Just get there, Abs! Tony needs you right now."

* * *

Tony was still sitting in the nurse's office when she returned. He looked up at her face, half expecting to see a sympathetic face and the words, "We did everything we could."

But she was smiling. "Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman." She said, putting her hand on Tony's shoulder. "Had the bullet been but a millimetre off, then the babies' safety would have been compromised."

Tony looked up at her, his eyes wide. "Babies?"

The nurse smiled. "You didn't know? She's carrying twins."

Tony shook his head. "When we went to see the doctor, she could only hear one heartbeat."

The nurse nodded. "That can sometimes happen. It all depends on where the babies are in the womb. In this case, one was in front of the other. That's why you weren't able to pick up the second heartbeat."

Tony sighed. It all seemed surreal. It had only been a few hours earlier when the two of them were fighting in the airport parking lot. Now, Kate was lying in a hospital bed with a bullet wound. Tony didn't even know how serious it was, or if she would survive.

"How is Kate?" He asked.

The nurse sighed, and Tony's insides started churning. "She isn't doing as well as we would like. She's lost a lot of blood."

"I thought the wound wasn't bad?" Tony asked anxiously.

"It's not a bad wound. It will not kill her." The nurse said. "But since she is carrying two babies, she is in a bad condition. The doctor in charge is considering putting her into an induced coma until such time as we can operate and take the babies out without harming her or them."

"Why not now?" Tony asked. He wanted to go and see her, but he wasn't sure if he could handle seeing her if she was as bad as the nurse was saying.

"If we operate now, the babies will not survive. They are too young."

* * *

Abby rushed through the doors, and up to the front desk. "Which room is Kate Todd in?" She asked, biting her lip. She heard McGee walk up behind her, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

The woman at the front desk shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've been asked to say that she isn't receiving guests right now."

Abby's mouth fell open. "But her boyfriend is here! Do you know where he is?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'll page the doctor in charge and ask him to come out and talk to you."

Abby thanked her, and went to sit down in the waiting area. McGee sat down next to her, and she leaned against him. "Tim, what's going to happen to her?" She asked quietly. "I don't want her to die."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." McGee said, although he didn't know it himself. "She's Kate, she can pull through this."

Abby nodded, and closed her eyes. The A & E door opened again, and a woman approached the counter slowly. McGee watched her, and noticed that she seemed familiar. He heard her request the room number of one Caitlin Todd, and when she was refused entry, she broke down.

"My daughter's been shot by a terrorist, and you won't let me see her!" She screamed, and McGee instantly recognised her as Sarah Todd. Her husband, Hugh, was lying on a slab back in Autopsy.

"Mrs. Todd, please!" The receptionist tried to reason. "Your daughter is in critical condition right now! No-one is getting in but the doctors and nurses attending to her!"

Abby sat up. "Kate's condition is critical?" She whispered. "Of course… her baby. They're both in danger of dying…"

Sarah Todd walked into the waiting area, and sat down away from anyone else. McGee watched her for a while, but was distracted when Tony followed a nurse out of the wards.

"Tony!" He called. Tony saw the two sitting there, and walked over to them.

"Have you seen Kate?" Abby asked, wiping her eyes.

"No." He said glumly. "Kate and the babies are in critical condition, apparently."

"Babies?" Abby exclaimed.

"It isn't right…" Tony continued. "The wound wasn't bad, but because she has a bullet in her chest and is almost five months pregnant, they're putting her in a coma so they can look after her until they can operate. A caesarean to get the babies out safely, then remove the bullet without… without killing Kate. Or the babies."

"But- that's at least three months!"

Tony nodded numbly. "I don't know how or why… but they tried to remove the bullet before… it wasn't pretty, I heard."

"So she's stable?" McGee asked.

Tony nodded. "She is _now_…" Tears appeared in his eyes. "The nurse said they almost lost her when they tried to get the bullet." He turned away. Abby stared at him in shock, and McGee held Abby's hand tightly.

"She'll be okay, Tony."

Tony turned around. "No, she won't be McGee!" He cried. "She has a flesh wound after getting shot, and they can't take it out because her vitals drop when they try! And it's all because she's pregnant, it's all my fault! They are putting her into an induced coma until it's safe enough to do the caesarean, which is about three months away! So no, McGee, she may not be okay. She might die!" He walked away, ignoring his friends' calls… and the fact that the entire room had heard him yelling at McGee.

He stood outside the doors to the hospital. It was raining, but he didn't care. He had been told how Kate was, but he still didn't understand the situation. He just wished that everything would go back to normal. He wished that he had been with Kate, instead of refusing to take her back to her house. Then she might not be lying in a hospital bed.

"DiNozzo, you do know it's raining, right?"

Tony recognised his boss' voice immediately. He just shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter anymore, Gibbs."

Gibbs was standing in front of him now. He looked into Tony's eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened to Kate. But things aren't as bad as they seem. She and the baby are going to be alright."

"Babies." Tony corrected without even thinking about it.

"Twins?"

"Yeah." Tony looked out over the parking lot. The streetlights weren't doing much to light up the dark area.

"Twice the risk."

"Don't remind me." Tony said. It wasn't the first time he felt helpless, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He looked at Gibbs, and asked, "How will I go on if they die?"

"I don't know, Tony. It's different for different people. I managed alright."

Tony looked at Gibbs, his mouth wide open. "You had a child?"

"My first marriage." Gibbs said. "The one that didn't end in divorce."

Tony was speechless. There were very few occasions when Gibbs told anyone about his past, and if he did it certainly was never to Tony. He had no idea that Gibbs had a daughter from his first marriage.

"I'm sorry." Tony said, bowing his head.

"It hurt for a long time afterwards." Gibbs continued. "I still think of them often. Time heals all wounds, Tony."

"I don't want to lose her." Tony said, wringing his hands together. "I…" He paused when he heard a commotion inside. "What's that?"

The two went through the doors, to see three nurses running towards the wards. "Gunshot victim's vitals are crashing again!" One of them called. "Bring the ventilator and the crash cart!"

Tony's legs felt weak. He knew they were talking about Kate. He turned to Gibbs, who wore a steely expression. "Gibbs!" He grabbed his boss' shirt, and tugged. "I can't lose her!"

Abby and McGee ran over from the waiting area. "Gibbs, I think they were talking about Kate! They won't let us in!" She started to cry. "Gibbs, Kate is my best friend… she can't die!"

Gibbs kept his eyes on the door. "Let nature take its course." He said. "She should pull through this."

* * *

Kate's ward was being attended to by a doctor and two nurses. The doctor was checking her chart, and the nurses were observing.

"We'll have to administer the sedatives now." He said to the nurses. "It's a case I've never seen before… although, the fact that being pregnant with twins wouldn't help."

"Plus all the stress she's been through." The first nurse said. "Her boyfriend told me that a terrorist has been after her for a while now."

"Well, there's nothing for it." Said the second nurse. "From what I understand, we'll lose her if we don't administer the sedatives now."

"Quite right." The doctor said. "We'll have to monitor her overnight, though. She's still critical. She should be fine after the first 24 hours."

"Where's the x-ray of her chest? The latest one?" The doctor asked a while later. Kate's stats were currently stable. The first nurse handed him the x-ray, and he held it up to the light. After a moment, he grunted and asked, "The first one?" The nurse handed him another x-ray, and he looked at it.

"It's just as I thought." He muttered gravely.

"What is it, doctor?" The second nurse asked.

He clipped the two separate x-rays to the board, and showed the nurses. "This is the bullet." He said, pointing to the area on the x-rays. "As you can see," He said when one of them gasped, "The bullet is approaching this major artery."

"I'll fetch Mr. DiNozzo." The first nurse said, leaving the room quickly.

"This man has a choice to make." The doctor said to the remaining nurse.


	18. Kate's Nightmare

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Tony was standing in the waiting area, his face as white as a sheet. The ward doors opened, and out came the nurse who he had talked to earlier. He didn't see her at first; his gaze was fixed on the opposite wall. Abby's hand was clutching his own tightly.

"Mr. DiNozzo?" She asked.

He looked up at her, and he saw the look on her face that he recognised from all the movies he had seen. She had bad news for him.

"Please follow me."

He got to his feet, shaking violently, and followed her through the doors. Once they were away from the others, she turned to him.

"Is Ms. Todd's mother here?"

Tony nodded. "She's outside with Kate's co-workers."

The nurse nodded glumly. "Please fetch her."

Tony walked back out the doors, and made a beeline to where Sarah Todd sat, being comforted by Abby. "Sarah…" He said quietly. "The nurse would like to see you too." He couldn't bring himself to look at Abby, McGee or Gibbs, so he turned away quickly and led Kate's mother out the ward doors.

The nurse led them into Kate's private room, and when they were inside, Sarah let out a wail. It took everything Tony had for him not to turn around and run out of the room. Kate looked so frail. Her skin was as pale as the sheets she was lying on, and she seemed so small and insignificant.

"Mr. DiNozzo, Mrs. Todd, I take it?" The doctor said. He shook Tony's shaking hand. "I'm Doctor Johnson."

"Why did you call us in here, Doctor?" Sarah asked.

The doctor nodded. "When Kate first got here, we took an x-ray of her chest to see what damages the bullet has caused. Fortunately, there was no damage. However, on the more recent x-ray we took, we discovered that the bullet is edging itself in. It's heading towards her heart."

"Then you can't put her on the ventilator!" Tony said. "She'll die!"

Doctor Johnson nodded again. "Unfortunately, Mr. DiNozzo, you have a choice to make. We have to operate to save Kate's life."

"But then… the babies…" Tony understood what the doctor was trying to say. "You mean to say that I have to choose between Kate's life and the babies' lives?"

"I'm sorry." He said.

Tony turned to Sarah. "She's your daughter. I can't make this decision."

Sarah looked at him. Her eyes were red and teary, just like Tony's. "… I don't know, Tony. What does your heart say?" He looked at her, and nodded. Then he turned to Doctor Johnson and gave him his decision.

* * *

Tony walked back to the waiting area, where Abby was asleep, leaning against McGee's shoulder. McGee was also asleep, and Gibbs was reading the paper. He looked up when Tony approached him.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked.

Tony wiped his eyes. "If you had to pick between the life of the one you love, or your two unborn children, what would you decide, Gibbs?"

Gibbs got up from his chair, and put his arms around Tony. "I'm sorry, Tony."

"It's okay." He tried to smile. "The doctor said there's a small chance that Kate will be able to have children in the future." Gibbs nodded. "They're operating on her now."

"Tony, you should go home and sleep."

"I don't want to leave her." Tony protested, but Gibbs interrupted him, saying it was an order, so he went and called a taxi.

Gibbs sat back down, and Abby stirred. "Gibbs? What happened? Is Kate okay?"

"Kate will be alright." He said. "She and Tony will live a long life together."

Abby knew Gibbs; she knew the meaning of his words. She gasped. "Oh no… poor Kate…"

Gibbs nodded. "We should all go home and get some sleep. Tony said that the doctor said that she won't wake up for a couple of days anyway."

Abby turned to McGee, and gently shook him. "Tim, wake up." He mumbled something, and opened his eyes. He looked at her groggily, and she smiled. "C'mon, let's go back to my place."

He nodded, and they said goodnight to Gibbs. Tony wasn't back yet, so they left. Gibbs sat back down, and about five minutes later, Tony came back in.

"Hey, boss, thanks for all your support." Gibbs just nodded. "The doctor said he'd call in the morning and give me an update. I'll call you then."

Tony left, and after a while of sitting there thinking, Gibbs decided to head home as well.

* * *

_Kate was sitting on the sofa in her sitting room. Next to her was Ari, with that sly grin on his face. Tied up to a chair in the middle of the room was her mother, and behind her was Ziva, with a gun pointed at the back of her head._

"_It is almost sunset." Ziva snaped irritably. "Where is she?"_

"_She will be here." Ari replied._

"_She'll never come!" Sarah Todd yelled at Ari. "She has more common sense than that!"_

"_Au contraire, Mrs. Todd." Ari said, smiling at her. "She told me she would be here before sunset."_

"_Why? How?"_

"_I told her I would put a bullet in your head."_

_Kate noted that her mother became quiet at this. She stood up, and went to the full-length mirror in the hallway. She looked at herself, and screamed. There was a bullet wound in her chest, close to her heart. She also saw a long vertical cut that went through the clothes she was wearing. She pulled her top up curiously, and saw that her stomach had the same cut. She couldn't see her insides; it was like the hole had nothing inside, and the curves that she had acquired since becoming pregnant were gone. Her skin was smooth, and the stretch marks around her abdomen were gone._

_She was very confused. She had not seen any of this when she arrived at her house. How could she be seeing it now?_

_Kate returned to the sitting room, where Ziva and Ari were talking quietly in the corner. She saw Ari's gun on the coffee table, and reached for it. Maybe if she could shoot him in the head now she could prevent the events that were apparently about to happen._

_But she couldn't touch the gun. Her fingers went right through the gun as though it was smoke. Her mouth fell open._

_Suddenly Ari looked out the window, and smirked. "She is here."_

_Sarah Todd swore at Ari, causing Kate to laugh. Her mother had never sworn in front of her before, and it was strange hearing those words coming from her mouth._

"_Mother!" She exclaimed. "Did you kiss Daddy with that mouth?"_

_When Sarah didn't look up and answer her, it hit her. Whatever this was that she was seeing, they could not see, or hear her. It was like she was a ghost._

_The front door opened, and Kate ran out into the hallway. She saw herself standing there, calling out for her mother. Ari answered, and Kate watched herself walk in. She followed herself into the living room, where Ari, Ziva and her mother were all waiting. Ziva's gun was once again pointed at Sarah's head._

_Kate's eyes were on Ari, though. He looked up at her, and smirked. She could see his eyes clearly, even though the room was quite dark._

"_You should not have come, Caitlin." He said, as he raised the gun so it was pointing at her head, and fired._

* * *

It had been over a week since Kate's operation. Her recovery was slower than the doctor had anticipated, but it was coming along. Tony had gone to visit her everyday, and on the first day, he sat by her bed and cried the entire time. It got better as the days passed. Kate had not woken up yet, but the colour was gradually returning to her face, and she seemed less frail.

On the tenth day, when Tony went to see her, he almost cried again when he saw her. She looked like she was having a nightmare. She was tossing and turning, and her pillow was wet from tears. He rushed to her bedside and grabbed her arms gently.

"Kate, Kate!" He whispered. "It's alright!"

Her eyes shot open, and she let out a whimper. When she saw Tony, she calmed down. "Tony?"

He nodded at her, and ruffled her hair. "Oh, Katie." He breathed. "We've all been so worried."

She tilted her head to the side. "What happened?"

"Do you remember going back for your mother?" He asked. Kate nodded. "Do you remember what happened in the house?"

Kate nodded. "I was shot." She unconsciously placed her hand over where she was shot, and she could feel the bandage covering the scar through the material of her hospital gown.

"Kate," Tony said seriously, taking her other hand. "There were complications when you got to the hospital."

Kate looked into Tony's eyes. "What happened?"

"The bullet was so close to your heart, Kate. They don't know if there is any damage to your heart yet, but… the babies…"

He looked away, and Kate felt like someone was trying to cut her open with a butter knife. Not only had there been two babies, but now neither of them would one day call her "Mom".

"I see." She said. It felt like a horrible dream; perhaps this was still part of the dream she had been having when she saw what happened when she was shot. It was still such a shock, and she just closed her eyes. No tears came.

"I'm sorry, Kate." Tony squeezed her hand. "The doctor said that I had to make a choice. I couldn't raise two children without you, Kate. We can always have a family together, right?"

Kate nodded. It sounded horrible in her ears, but if it was a choice between her life and the babies, then she was glad Tony had chosen her.

"Thank you, Tony." She smiled at him.


	19. Confessions and another Surprise Visit

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

In the three weeks that passed after Kate waking up, she was monitored closely by the hospital staff. Unfortunately, life continued on as normal for the rest of the team, and so Kate found there were long periods of time when she had no one to talk to, nothing to do.

She was visited mostly by her mother and Tony. Sarah made a promise that she would spend an hour a day with Kate at least, and she swore that she would do what she could to repair their broken relationship.

However, what she concealed from Kate was the fact that she had gone ahead with Hugh's funeral already, and had him cremated, just as he had always wanted.

Kate was sitting in her room, reading the newspaper, when her mother came in that morning. She was carrying a small cardboard box, and looked extremely unhappy.

"Kate, I've done an awful thing." She said, before Kate could even say "Good Morning.".

"What's wrong, Mom?" She asked, patting the side of the bed. Sarah sat down and handed the box to Kate.

"Kate, you've been in here for over a month now…" She said, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry, but I had to hold your father's funeral a couple of weeks ago."

Her face fell. "So, his remains are in this box?"

"No, I brought an urn." She said. "Kate, I really am sorry. But I couldn't delay it any longer."

"I understand." Kate said. It was true, but it didn't stop her from feeling angry that she couldn't attend his funeral. She just smiled at Sarah.

When the doctor arrived, Sarah had to go. Kate told her that she wanted to ask her something in the morning, and Sarah said she would be there at the same time. When she was gone, the doctor smiled at her.

"Ready for your test?" He asked her cheerfully.

Kate shrugged a shoulder. "What's this for, again?"

"We want to make sure that there was no damage caused to your heart when you got shot." He said, causing Kate to pout. This doctor was new, and unlike Doctor Johnson, he had no idea about sensitivity. Kate liked Johnson better, instead of saying, "When you were shot," he used phrases like, "Your unfortunate accident," or some other silly things that made her smile.

"Alright." Kate said, determined to be stubborn. "But I want to call my boyfriend afterwards. Can I?"

The doctor muttered something about it not being a problem, and then arranged for her to be taken to the test.

* * *

Tony, Gibbs, McGee, Abby and Jenny all went to see Kate that Friday night. They had no idea about the test; when Tony had come in on his way to work on Thursday morning Kate hadn't told him about the test she had had on her heart.

So when they got there, they were surprised to find her sitting at the chair by the window, crying. She had been allowed to get out of her bed for a while now, but they had not anticipated the crying.

"Katie, what's wrong?" Tony asked, hugging her.

"They did some kind of test on my heart earlier this week…" Kate said, wiping her eyes. "To see if the bullet had caused any lasting damage."

Abby and McGee looked at each other knowingly. Gibbs looked at the floor, and Jenny turned away. It took Tony a little longer to figure out what she was getting at.

"Gibbs, when I get out of hospital, expect a resignation letter on your desk from me. I'm being forced to retire."

Abby covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, Kate…"

Tony just held her. He didn't think it would be wise to try and tell her everything was going to be alright, especially after everything that had happened. So he just held her in his arms while she cried.

Everyone was feeling rather useless, so when Gibbs went to get everyone some coffee (and a water for Kate), Jenny went with him. She watched him for a while, until he caught on and looked at her curiously. She had a small smile on her face.

"There was a time not too long ago when you were like that toward me." She said, wiping her eyes. "Kate is a very lucky woman to have a man like Tony."

Gibbs sighed, and placed a hand on her cheek. "It's always been like that, Jen. And it always will be."

Jenny looked at him, her teary eyes wide. She saw the look in his eyes, and felt like she finally understood. Everything in her life felt like it finally made sense. He wiped her tears away with his thumb, and held her in his arms.

"Oh, Jethro." She murmured. "I feel like a blindfold has been taken off me."

He raised an eyebrow. Not wanting to question her, he just kissed the top of her head and listened to her speak. He realised then that it was one of the first times that Jennifer Shepherd had really opened up to him. She was usually reserved and sometimes secretive.

When she had finished, she pulled herself out of his embrace and looked at him. Waiting for him to speak.

He was smiling. "I love you too, Jen."

* * *

After a while, Tony and McGee decided to give Kate and Abby some time to catch up on gossip. They went in search of Gibbs and their coffee. It had been an extremely long day, and they were aching for a coffee… or a warm bed.

And since coffee was more accessible at the moment, they decided to go after Gibbs. McGee stopped Tony when they were right outside the cafeteria doors.

"Tony… I haven't really had the chance to tell you how sorry I was about how things have turned out. I could tell you were really looking forward to becoming a father. And Kate, a mother. I could see it in your eyes."

Tony smirked at McGee. "McGee, are you being sentimental?"

McGee frowned. "I was being serious, Tony."

"I know, Tim, I'm sorry. I just… I guess I haven't thought much about it. I mean, I have," He said when he saw McGee's face, "What I meant was… now that you think about it, I… whoa! Check out Gibbs!"

Tony pointed through the small windows on the cafeteria door, where Gibbs and Jenny were locked in a passionate kiss. McGee turned, and when he saw, his eyes widened. "Wow. Abby was always saying they had chemistry, but I never believed her."

Tony turned to McGee, grinning. "You just lost another bet, I presume?"

McGee nodded. "Well, they should be coming back soon. Let's go back to Kate's room before we're caught."

The two returned to Kate's room. About 5 minutes later, Gibbs and Jenny returned, with five coffee cups and one glass of water.

"What did we miss?" Gibbs asked.

"Not much, Gibbs." Abby said cheerfully. "Kate and I were just talking about politics."

That was a lie and Gibbs knew it. He shrugged, and handed out the drinks. Kate sipped at her water with a sour expression on her face. Tony watched her, and felt badly for her. Imagining what she was feeling got him to thinking. In the whole time since the two had first slept together, since they found out Kate was pregnant, since the thing with Ari, he had not been in contact with his family. He knew Kate had been in contact with her family regularly, but he hadn't bothered much with his family.

So they didn't know that they could have been grandparents. And his sister – who he never really spoke to either – never knew she could have been an aunt.

Seeing Kate like this really hurt Tony, because he couldn't do anything to ease her pain. Only time could heal Kate's wounds.

"Kate," McGee asked, trying to step around the subject lightly. "Do you know when you will be out of the hospital?"

"In a couple of weeks, I hope." Kate said. "Not that I have anything to look forward to."

"You never know, Katie." Tony teased. He already had a plan in mind.

* * *

Two weeks later, just as Kate had predicted, the doctor decided she was fit to go home. Gibbs took the day off work to pick her up, and take her home. Tony had already told her that he would meet her at her place, and that he had a surprise for her.

Normally, Kate loved surprises, but today she wasn't so sure. So when Gibbs arrived at 10am to pick her up, she was feeling nervous.

"Ready to go?" He asked her.

Kate nodded. "I am… but there's one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?" Gibbs asked as he grabbed her bags.

Kate nodded down to the walking stick that her right hand had a firm grip on. "Why do I need this, Gibbs?" She asked desperately. "I have some lasting damage to my heart, not to my legs!"

Gibbs sighed. The doctor had forgotten to mention that Kate would be touchy about the walking stick. "Kate… you can go without the stick… if you can prove you don't need it."

Kate glared at Gibbs, and for a moment he thought she would throw it at him. "Alright," She conceded, "You win."

* * *

When Gibbs pulled up outside Kate's house later that morning, Kate was surprised to see two cars she didn't recognise parked in her driveway. One was a sedan; similar in colour to Gibbs' blue one, and the other was a yellow convertible.

Gibbs just chuckled. "You enjoy yourself now, Kate."

Kate thanked him, grabbed her bags and walked slowly up to the door. She unlocked the door, and opened it. She shuffled through the door, and looked down the hallway.

It was different than she remembered. Kate swore she didn't have that many flowers in vases around her house. And she could smell something in the oven. She couldn't remember Tony knowing how to bake. Cook, yes, but not bake. It smelled like cookies. Or muffins. Kate couldn't tell which.

"Tony?" She called out. "Are you home?"

"Yeah!" Came the reply. "We're in the living room!"

'_We?'_ Kate thought. _'Who else is here?'_

She put her bags down, and walked into the living room. Tony was sitting on the sofa with a brown-haired girl, and sitting on the other sofa was a man and a woman. Tony resembled the man so closely, but Kate noticed that Tony had the woman's eyes. The girl sitting next to Tony looked more like the woman.

She relaxed. This must have been his family.

The girl next to Tony jumped up. She looked not much older than 20. "Hi, I'm Alexandra DiNozzo!" She held out her hand to Kate. "Tony has told me so much about you!"

Kate smiled, and shook her hand. "Caitlin. You can call me Kate." She added with a smile.

"Then you can call me Alex!"

Kate couldn't help but smile; this girl already seemed nice. Samantha and Robert DiNozzo introduced themselves soon after, and after the first 10 minutes had passed Kate felt more at home with Tony's family than she ever imagined she would.

From what Tony had described them as, Kate had always thought that they were the 'stiff upper lip' kind of people. But they seemed really nice.

Tony's mother had arranged dinner, and soon they were all sitting at the table. Tony poured everyone a glass of red wine – when he went to say no to Kate, she gave him a dirty look, so he just smiled at her and poured her a glass.

They were halfway through the meal when things became… uncomfortable.

"So, Caitlin," Robert asked, taking a sip of his wine. "When are you and Tony getting married?"


	20. Meet the Parents and Jenny's Offer

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: This was a bit more rushed than I would have liked... but things are starting to move along now towards some kind of ending... so... any suggestions for what you might like to see in the end? I haven't really decided what will happen yet. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Kate choked gracelessly on the food in her mouth, and swallowed. Taking a sip of her drink, she managed to choke out, "What?"

"Robert!" Samantha hissed. "You promised you wouldn't bring that subject up!"

Alexandra was smiling at Kate. "You and Tony are getting married?" She asked innocently.

Tony glared at his father, then at his sister. "With all due respect, that isn't why you were invited down here."

"Well, think about it son," Robert said, looking at Kate curiously. "You're already in your 30's. Shouldn't you be thinking about settling down with a wife and starting a family soon?"

Kate looked up at him at that comment. Of course, they didn't know about what had happened. Tony rarely contacted his family. And she was beginning to understand why.

"I would be an auntie!" Alexandra gushed. "With Kate's gorgeous face, you two would have the most beautiful babies ever!"

Kate stood up quickly. It was too much for her to handle. "Excuse me," She said quickly, running from the room. She pulled the door closed after her, and sunk to her knees. _'Why did this have to happen to me?'_ She asked herself mentally. She didn't bother to wipe away her tears; she usually felt better after having a good cry.

So, she picked herself up off the floor, and headed upstairs calmly. When she was in the safety of her own room, she closed the door and collapsed onto her bed, where she could cry without caring who heard her.

* * *

Back at the table, Tony was sitting with his head in his hands. He had just explained everything, _everything_ that had happened over the last six and a bit months. Needless to say, his family was in shock.

"Why didn't you tell us, son?" Robert asked. He looked hurt.

"Why do you think, dad? Look at the way you treated Kate. She's suffered so much over the past six months, and it was all brought up again. She's lost her father, and her babies. She was forced to retire because of the lasting damage to her heart caused by a gunshot wound."

"We didn't know." Alexandra said, bowing her head. "You never call us, Tony. No emails, no calls… you never contact us. How were we to know that you were going to be a father? Any of it?"

Tony stood up. "Our family's situation has never been good. I just thought that if you came down to visit Kate, it would make her feel better. I was planning on telling you everything… eventually."

Samantha scoffed. "Another one of your meaningless promises, Anthony?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm going to talk to Kate. If you want to stay here still, you can. But… just, don't take any of this out on Kate. It's not her fault."

He turned around, and left the room. He headed up to Kate's room; since he knew she would be there. Sure enough, she was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"You alright, Katie?" He asked gently, sitting down next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. His eyes widened when she flinched.

"I need to be alone right now, Tony." She whispered. "I'm sorry. I just can't…"

"It's alright, Kate. We'll be downstairs…" Tony grimaced. Kate was closing everyone out.

"No," Kate said. She sat up, and turned to face him. He couldn't help but think how horrible she looked. Her face was wet with tears and her eyeliner was running. "I think you should go back to your apartment for a while. I just need some space. I'm really sorry." She added when the look on his face changed from sympathetic to almost insulted.

"It's okay, I understand." Tony said. "I'll put Mom, Dad and Alex in a hotel somewhere. Won't be enough room back at my place…"

He didn't understand at all, but he wasn't about to argue with Kate. She seemed so fragile. Tony moved around the room quickly, grabbing his essential gear, before heading out. As he was about to close the door, he said quietly, "Love you, Katie."

* * *

In the month that Tony and Kate had not spoken, life at NCIS headquarters had been very different. Of course, Kate didn't have a job to come back to, so the only two people she had been in contact with were Gibbs and Abby.

It was only Abby at first, but when Kate told her what was going on – what had happened, to be more precise – Abby had gone to Gibbs straightaway.

It was late on Thursday night, and Gibbs had already gone home. Kate's old desk was still empty (no-one seemed to want to be a NCIS Special Agent these days). Tony was sitting at his desk, fidgeting, and McGee was also at his desk, but he was typing up something. He could notice Tony's anxiety, and as soon as it started to annoy him, he said, "If you want to ask me something Tony, then say it."

Tony looked across at McGee. Usually, he would snap, or retaliate, but he didn't have the energy. Plus, he _did_ want to ask McGee a question.

"Er…" Tony began, but stopped. How would he ask it? "IwanttoaskKatetomarryme."

McGee tilted his head to the side. "I didn't hear that. What did you say?"

Tony cleared his throat, and then said rather loudly, "I want to ask Kate to marry me!"

Jenny, who had been leaving for the night, stopped at the top of the stairs with a smile. It was about time Tony got his act together when it came to Kate.

"Wow, congratulations Tony." McGee said, smiling. "You only have one little problem."

"The fact that she hasn't returned my phone calls, and won't answer the door when I go to see her?" Tony said miserably. McGee nodded. "I don't know what to do, Tim. She said she needed some space… time away from me."

"I'm sorry, Tony. Maybe you should just give her some more time?"

Tony shrugged. "I guess so. I'll try again after the weekend."

* * *

When Abby made her weekly visit to Kate, she noticed there had been a few changes since she had been around the previous Saturday. For a start, when she parked her car, she noticed how different the garden was. Kate was never a messy person, but her garden was immaculate compared to last time. It looked like Kate had taken out all of the old flowers, and replaced them with beautiful, fresh ones. The lawn was neatly mowed. She walked up to the door curiously, and knocked.

It was unlocked, so she walked in. "Kate?" She called. "You here?"

"Yeah!" Came the reply. "In my room!"

Abby shrugged, and went upstairs. When she reached Kate's room, she found the brunette sitting on her bed, reading a magazine.

"Hi Kate." Abby said. "How are you?"

"Fine." Kate said, smiling. Her eyes seemed tired though. "Have you… talked to Tony recently?"

Abby nodded. "He really misses you, Kate. He wants to be there to support you while you're hurting. But instead, you're pushing him away. You're pushing us all away. We just want to help you… make the pain go away, you know?"

Kate bit her lip. "I know." She forced a smile. "You should see the number of messages on my phone. I really want to-" She stopped. The two could faintly hear knocking on the door downstairs. "Did you bring someone else with you?"

Abby shook her head, and Kate got up off her bed. She left her room and went down the stairs slowly. Abby waited at the bottom of the stairs while Kate answered the door.

It was Director Shepherd.

"Hi, Director." Kate said uncertainly. "Why are you here?" She asked the question as politely as she could; she couldn't help but be curious as to why she was here.

"I have been thinking," She said. "How would you like to come back to work?"

"That's very kind of you, but you know I can't." Kate said.

"Not as an Agent." She said. "As a Deputy to me."

Kate was flabbergasted. "M-me? Deputy Director of NCIS?" She stammered. "But why?"

"Who knows?" She said with a smile. "You have the talent. It could take you to many places. And besides…" She added with a wink. "I am considering returning to the field."

Kate stood there, staring for a moment. Suddenly becoming aware of her rudeness, she held out her arm. "W-would you like to come inside?"

Jenny smiled, and shook her head. "No, thank you. I was just on my way out for the rest of the day. I will see you at work on Monday, at 8am. We will discuss your contract then."

"Of course." Kate smiled. "Thank you, Director."

Jenny smiled, and left, and Kate went back inside. Abby was sitting on the bottom step. "What did the Director want?"

Kate grinned. "She offered me a job."

* * *

Abby and McGee had arrived early on Monday morning. Gibbs wasn't even in yet, but they had a quick breakfast at McGee's desk. Around 7:30am, Tony came in, distracted as usual, and then Gibbs, at 7:45am. Jenny got out of the elevator at 7:52am, and at 7:55am…

"Kate!" Tony exclaimed, jumping up from his desk. "What are you doing here?"

Kate stopped, and turned to him. "Director Shepherd has offered me an office job."

Tony frowned. "I thought you didn't like office work."

Kate shrugged a shoulder. "Normally… but I'm hoping this is different. Anyway, I'll talk to you later. I have to go and discuss my new contract with the Director." She gave him a kiss on the cheek – causing him to beam, and Gibbs to look away pointedly – before walking off smiling.

"I'll pretend I didn't see that." Gibbs said as he walked past.

Upstairs, Kate was feeling nervous. It wasn't like a run-of-the-mill job interview. It wasn't a real interview at all. She had already been offered the job, and she had already accepted, but she was still nervous.

"Kate, you can come in now." Jenny called from her room. She got up, and went into the Director's office. "You look nervous." She commented, causing Kate to smile. "You don't have to worry."

Kate nodded. "Thank you for this… it really means a lot."

Jenny nodded, and they discussed her contract, which was much more appealing than her old contract. One hour later, Kate left her office, very surprised and satisfied. She headed down the steps to the bullpen, where Tony was sitting at his desk, humming. Smiling, she snuck up behind him, and placed her hands on his shoulders.

He jumped. "Kate! I didn't hear you coming." He said, looking up and smiling at her.

"Of course you didn't." She smiled back.

"So…" He got up, and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you have a job?"

"Yes." She said. "Director Shepherd has appointed me as the new Deputy Director."


	21. Resentment

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Tony looked at Kate, his mouth open. For some reason, the fact that Kate had been offered that position and not the P.A position she used to have while she was pregnant… he didn't know what to think about it. Instead, he just grinned and hugged her.

"Well done, Katie!" He exclaimed. "That's a huge step in your career!"

"What is, DiNozzo?"

Gibbs walked up to the two, an eyebrow raised. Tony faced him and grinned.

"Well, boss, Kate got promoted to Deputy Director of NCIS!" He said, patting her on the back.

Gibbs looked at Kate, unable to hide his surprise and shock. She just stood in front of him, smiling. She couldn't see what he was thinking; otherwise she might have been seriously upset.

Because, at that moment, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was wondering: What the hell was Jenny Shepherd thinking?

* * *

"This is your new office." Jenny said to Kate, pushing open the door. It was almost exactly the same as her office, only there was no furniture in it yet. She handed Kate a folder and smiled. "I thought you might like to decorate it yourself."

"Wow, thank you." Kate said, stunned. She heard Jenny walk into her own office, and stood at the door in amazement for a while. The door that led out to the bullpen and MTAC burst open and Gibbs stormed in.

"Hi Gibbs." Kate smiled. "Looking for the Director?"

He continued walking straight past her, opened the Director's door and stomped through, slamming it behind him. She raised an eyebrow, and within moments heard raised voices. She couldn't hear the conversation itself, but she could hear the voices. She shrugged it off and headed downstairs.

"Hey, Kate." McGee called out as she walked over. "Or is it Deputy Director Todd now?"

"I reckon." Tony grinned. He gave Kate a hello kiss. "How does it feel to be Gibbs' boss, Katie?"

Kate ran a hand through her hair. "It's still Kate. Unless you _really_ want to call me Deputy Director." She added with a dazed look on her face. "And I can't really say that I know…" She smiled. "It hasn't sunk in yet."

"Well, Gibbs headed up there before." McGee said, shrugging. "Did he go to talk to Director Shepherd?"

"Nah, probably went to make out with her." Tony laughed. He stopped when he saw the glare on Kate's face. "What?" He protested. "McGee and I saw them at the hospital!"

"You did?" Kate asked, incredulous. "Well… Gibbs did go up there earlier… but I heard shouting."

"Can't think why." McGee said, his eyebrow raised.

Kate looked at him. "Do you think it has anything to do with my promotion?" Tony and McGee both looked away. She gaped at McGee. "It does, doesn't it?

They didn't answer. Kate huffed and walked back towards her office. Just as she got upstairs, Gibbs came out of Jenny's office.

"Gibbs!" Kate stopped him. He looked at her. "Are you unhappy about what's happened?" She asked him quietly.

He looked her directly in the eye. He closed Jenny's office door without turning around, before saying to her, "I don't have a problem with your promotion… Deputy Director Todd."

The conversation was over, and Kate knew it. She stepped out of his way, and he walked off, closing the door behind him. Kate stood there for a good five minutes, unable to register what had just happened.

'_I don't have a problem with your promotion… Deputy Director Todd.'_

Why didn't he just call her Kate, like Tony, McGee and Jenny? Tears welled up in her eyes. She and Gibbs had always had a very tight friendship. Is this what it had come down to?

* * *

When Kate came back downstairs later to meet Tony for lunch, he could tell she had been crying. Her makeup was fine, but her face was pale and she was sniffly. McGee was nearby so he didn't push it, but as soon as the elevator doors shut, he was on to her.

"What's wrong, Katie?" Tony asked, running a hand through her hair. "You've been crying."

Kate looked up at Tony. "Do you…" She trailed off, looking away. "Tony… this promotion that Jenny's given me… you aren't bothered by it… are you?"

He looked at her in shock. "Of course not!" He exclaimed. "Sure, I was a little surprised at first… but I don't think there's anyone who could do a better job than you."

Tears filled her eyes again. "… Gibbs… he… he called me… _Deputy Director Todd_. I don't understand it, Tony!" She cried. "He's never called me anything but Kate, and now I think he resents me!"

He put his arms around her, and held her tightly. "You don't have to worry about Gibbs." He said. "I guess he's not used to being bossed around. Especially by you."

She giggled into his chest. "You really think so?"

Tony smirked. "I _know_ so."

They left the building, and headed towards Tony's car. Kate was walking slightly ahead of Tony, as Tony's thoughts were lingering on the gorgeous engagement ring he had seen. He had been browsing on his computer earlier that morning, and had used his earlier break down at the store. His favourite so far had been one with a silver band, and the stone was a very light pink.

He hadn't looked at the price; he didn't care how much it cost, as long as Kate would like it. And as long as she said yes when he asked her to marry him.

Oh, how he _hoped_ she would say yes.

Tony had imagined the scenario in which he would propose to her… a beautiful candlelight dinner at her favourite restaurant, then a walk down the beach… where he would dramatically stop her, get down on one knee, confess to her that she was the love of his life… then ask her if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

He quite liked that.

"Tony? Are you listening?"

Tony stopped. He had no idea that Kate had been speaking to him. "Whaat?" He said lamely. "Were you saying something?"

Kate frowned. "I asked you if you were coming over tonight."

He nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Tony had already made up his mind. He was going to get the ring… today.

* * *

Jenny switched the light off in her office, and closed the door behind her. She put on her jacket, and took her purse off the table. She left the office, and headed down the stairs slowly. Almost cautiously. The only light down in the squad room was coming from Gibbs' desk. Smiling sadly, she descended the rest of the stairs and made her way over to his desk.

"Are you leaving soon, Jethro?" She asked softly.

"Mhm." Came the reply.

She frowned. The argument they had had that day over Kate's promotion had been bad, but it was only natural that Gibbs was feeling slightly resentful towards his former team member.

Jenny only hoped that he would get over it soon. She had seen Kate in tears numerous times that day.

"So, I will see you at home then." No reply. "I'll make you dinner."

He stopped writing, and after a few moments looked up at her. There was a huge grin on his face. "Jen, you're going to cook?"

She sighed with relief inwardly, but quickly countered his teasing, "Are you trying to imply that I cannot cook, Jethro Gibbs?"

He saw the fire in her eyes, and chuckled. "No, not at all. Not at all…"

She smiled herself, bent down and kissed his cheek, and headed for the elevator. "If you are later than 9 o'clock…" She said in a warning tone, "I will make you sleep on the couch."

He laughed as she stepped into the elevator, and when the doors were shut he looked at the clock on his desk. 7:30pm.

However, at 8 o'clock he decided he had had enough for one day, and packed up his things.

* * *

At 2am, Kate was lying on her back, still awake. She heard Tony's light snores next to her, and was comforted by his arm, which was draped across her waist. There wasn't a thought in her head, apart from the situation with Gibbs.

He appeared to hate her, and why?

She gently removed Tony's arm, and got out of bed. She grabbed the phone from its stand and left her room, closing the door quietly behind her. Knowing Gibbs stayed awake at all hours of the night, she dialled his number. He answered almost straightaway.

"_Kate."_ He answered.

"… how'd you know it was me?" She asked quietly.

"_Caller I.D."_

"… oh."

He didn't say anything for a while, and Kate thought he had hung up. But, he hadn't.

"_What is it, Kate?"_ He asked.

"I… just want to know what happened at work." She said. "The way you reacted really upset me. You've always been there for me, Gibbs. What changed?"

"_We'll talk tomorrow, Kate. Go and sleep."_

The line went dead, and Kate found herself once again heading in the direction of the bathroom, to wash away the tears that were streaming down her face.


	22. Gibbs' Apology and a Surprise

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

When Tony woke up in the morning, he was surprised to find that Kate was not there beside him. He just assumed that she had already gotten up.

However, when he finally got up and went downstairs, he was shocked to find her lying asleep on the couch, a bunch of tissues on the floor near the couch. He sighed. Looks like she had had another sleepless night.

He gently lifted her up, and carried her up the stairs and into her room. She woke up just as he finished tucking her into bed. "What's the matter?" She asked.

"I should be asking you that." Tony replied, smiling a little. "Aren't you sleeping well?"

"I'm sleeping fine," She said, confused.

"Really?" He asked. "Then how come I found you on the couch this morning?"

Kate shrugged a shoulder, and laid her head back on the pillow. "I had a lot on my mind. Plus I couldn't sleep."

Tony nodded. "Well, I'll call into work for you."

"What! No, I need to work." Kate said, although he could tell that there was very little resistance. "It'd be a bad look if I didn't come in today…"

"Even worse if you showed up looking like you do." Tony teased. Kate pouted at him for a bit, but smiled tiredly when he kissed her. "I'll see you after work." He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed for the shower. When he came out ten minutes later, he looked at her strangely. "Do you have any plans for dinner yet?"

"No." Kate shrugged. "Do you have something in mind?"

Tony smiled at her. "Yeah. I do." He gave her another kiss, a longer one, before he really left for work.

* * *

Tony was sitting at his desk when Gibbs came in, followed closely by Jenny. He almost missed the opportunity to tell Jenny that Kate wasn't coming in, and in the end he had to practically yell at her to get her attention.

"What is it, Agent DiNozzo?" She asked, coming back down.

"Er…" He tried to think of a passable excuse. He decided to just go with the truth. "Listen, Director, Kate had a really bad night last night… I don't know the particulars, she wouldn't tell me… but I found her this morning asleep on the couch with a bunch of tissues."

Jenny nodded. "That's alright. She wouldn't have been able to do much today anyway; her new office equipment isn't here yet."

Jenny walked away, and Tony looked at Gibbs, who had been looking at him. When their eyes met, Gibbs looked away quickly. In fact, he got up and grabbed his coat.

"Going somewhere, boss?" Tony asked cheerfully.

"… coffee."

Tony said no more. As Gibbs headed to the elevator, Tony thought something about it was odd…

… like the fact that there was a fresh cup of coffee on his desk already?

* * *

Kate decided that she didn't want to spend the entire morning in bed, so she got up. She didn't dress, though. She stayed in the tank top and panties she had worn to bed last night. She took the steps two at a time, and walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.

As she started to boil the jug, there was a knock on the door. Forgetting how little she was wearing, Kate headed for the door and opened it.

Gibbs was standing there, with two coffees. He almost, _almost_ gaped at her. _Her_ mouth, however, fell open.

"Gibbs!" She squealed, pushing the door slightly closed and hiding behind it. "What the heck are you doing here?"

She heard him chuckle, and looked quizzically at him through the glass in the door. "I brought coffee." He said simply, and she fumed.

"Is that all?" She asked him coldly. He didn't flinch. "I was just about to make my own coffee."

"We need to talk."

"Frankly, I don't want to talk to you, Gibbs." She said, surprised at her own firmness. "You really hurt me."

He sighed. "… I came to apologise, Kate."

She looked at him curiously through the glass. The distorted image of his face seemed sincere, and she wanted to believe him… but she was still confused.

"What for?" She asked. "I've obviously done something that's either offended or upset you, so I'm the one in the wrong."

Gibbs didn't reply to that. Instead, he said, "Let me in Kate, it's cold."

Kate sighed. "Alright. But let me get my robe first."

He looked the other way while Kate dashed up the stairs, put on her silk robe, tied it up loosely, and came back downstairs. The front door was closed, and she could hear Gibbs moving about in the sitting room. She walked in and sat down on the sofa.

"What's this about, Gibbs?"

He looked at her. She had always known him as being direct and strict, but today he was Jethro "sombre" Gibbs.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." He said. "I was seriously out of line. But know that it wasn't jealousy that made me act like I did."

She stood up, and looked at him. She had never seen Gibbs like this, and it hurt her. She flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. "Oh, Gibbs…" She sobbed, as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

They stayed like that for a while, until Gibbs' cell phone went off. They probably would have stayed like that for longer; Kate crying into Gibbs' shoulder, with his arms wrapped around her, if they hadn't been interrupted. Kate sat on the sofa while Gibbs fished his phone out of his coat pocket. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Boss, Tony."_ Tony's voice came through. _"Bad time?"_

Gibbs looked at Kate, who was smiling at him. "No." He said, relieved beyond anything that he and Kate were talking again. "What's up?"

"_Well, Director Shepherd is looking for you."_ Tony said. _"She's pretty mad that you up and left without telling anyone. Where _did_ you go, anyway?"_ He tried. _"The coffee shops around here are all empty; McGee went and checked them all."_

"That, DiNozzo, is on a need-to-know basis." Gibbs said. Kate grinned at him. "And you don't. Neither does Director Shepherd, for that matter."

"_Okay, I'll tell her that."_ Tony said. He paused for a moment. _"… say hello to Kate, alright boss?"_

Gibbs switched his phone off, and looked at Kate. "Tony says hello." He said, amused.

* * *

The following week, Kate's new office equipment arrived. When she walked in on Tuesday in her new skirt and blouse (being in the office instead of on the field meant that Kate needed to have a more formal attire), she walked into her office to find that it was furnished similarly to Jenny's. There was a desk, a comfortable-looking chair, a couch, a coffee table, and a table in the middle of the room with four chairs around it. Also, against the back wall was a small filing cabinet and bookcase.

Kate settled on the couch with a file, and read over it. She wasn't expecting company, so when there was a knock on the door, she was surprised.

"Come in."

Tony walked in, grinning broadly at Kate. He stopped when he looked around her office. "Wow, Kate, they really splurged on this place…"

She smirked. "I know. I really didn't need all this stuff…"

"Aww, Katie, you're too modest…" Tony teased. He sat down next to her and took her hand. She looked at him. He seemed… nervous.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Kate asked.

He let go of her hand, and stood up quickly. "Kate, there's something I've been meaning to ask you… for a while now."

She stood up too. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Tony shook his head. Instead, he reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a small black velvet box. Kate's mouth fell open as Tony dropped to one knee, and looked up at her hopefully. He opened the box and she saw inside it the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The band itself was a platinum-silver colour, and the stone was a baby pink. She felt her eyes welling up with tears, and when she looked at Tony she saw there were tears in his eyes too.

"Caitlin Todd…" He said, smiling up at her through his tears. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever known. I love you with every fibre of my being, and there is no-one in this world who I would rather spend the rest of my life with…" She giggled, and he took her hand with his spare one. "Will you marry me, Kate?"

Kate let out an excited squeal, and threw her arms around Tony. "Of course I'll marry you, Tony!" She cried. "There's nothing I would like more!"

He kissed her. When she looked into his teary eyes, they were bright. He was smiling. "I love you so much, Kate."

"I love you too, Tony." She said, unable to keep the smile off her face. He took the ring from the box, and placed it on her finger. She studied it for a moment, smiling still. "It fits perfectly… and it's gorgeous. How did you know my ring size?"

Tony blushed. "I… uh, asked Abby."

"Tony!"

He laughed. "Just kidding. I borrowed your promise ring."

Kate grinned. "No wonder I couldn't find it."

"I put it back when I was done with it!" He defended himself.

"I know. I believe you." She snuggled up to him. "I can't believe this is happening…"

He kissed her again, and then he helped her up off the floor. "You better believe it, baby."


	23. Family

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Abby screamed.

"Kate, that's so amazing! I'm so happy for you two!" She squealed. "Wow, I can't believe it! You're getting married! That's so great! Oh, Kate, promise me I can be maid of honour, _promise_ me!?"

Kate laughed. "Abby, calm down." She said reasonably. Abby calmed down a little. "And besides, there was going to be no question about it… I was planning on asking you to be my maid of honour anyway."

Abby screamed again and pulled Kate into a bear hug. "Thank you Kate! This is so great! Well, come on, show me the ring!"

Kate showed Abby the ring, and she had to put her fist into her mouth to keep her from screaming. "Oh, Kate." She said. "It's beautiful."

"Isn't it?" Kate said. She couldn't get over how nice the ring was. It was like Tony had read her mind on the type of engagement ring she'd like to be given one day. So far, Abby was the only person Kate had told. She wasn't sure if Tony had told anyone yet, although she had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to ask McGee to be best man.

And since Kate's father was unable to walk her down the aisle, she knew the exact man who she wanted to ask to take his place.

The man himself walked into Abby's lab just then. "Did I hear screaming?" Gibbs asked, looking curiously from Kate to Abby.

"You did indeed, Gibbs!" Abby said cheerfully. "Kate has some great news!"

Gibbs looked at Kate with a raised eyebrow.

"Tony proposed." Kate said, holding out her hand so Gibbs could see the ring. "Gibbs, I'm getting married!"

He smiled at her. "Congratulations, Kate. You're going to be very happy."

Kate nodded in agreement. "Gibbs… can I ask you a big favour?"

"Sure. What is it?"

Kate bit her lip. "Would you… I mean, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like it… if you could… would…" She looked at him hopefully. "Gibbs, I would really appreciate it if you would walk me down the aisle."

He smiled at her. "Of course I will, Kate."

Kate beamed. Things were getting better and better.

* * *

Tony was sitting at his desk, looking up every so often at McGee. It was that same nasty habit that he had had forever… when he wanted something, he would look over at the person until they got annoyed, and snapped at him.

McGee was onto him this time. "What is it, Tony?"

Tony smirked. "I asked Kate to marry me."

McGee's eyes widened. "Wow, congratulations Tony. You must be really happy about that."

"I am." Tony said, grinning. "Listen, Tim… how would you like to be best man?"

McGee was definitely taken aback by Tony's request. "I would have figured you'd ask Gibbs before me." He said.

Tony shook his head. "Kate is asking him to walk her down the aisle… you know, since her father can't and all."

McGee nodded. "Alright, Tony. Thanks. I'll be your best man."

Tony grinned. "Great! Now, I'll ask Kate if she wants to arrange a dinner… we'll invite our parents and give them the good news."

"I don't see why not." McGee said.

Tony pulled a face. "Last time my parents were down… well, it wasn't very pleasant."

The elevator opened, and Kate walked out, followed by Abby and Gibbs. Abby was grinning like a lunatic.

"Tim, did you hear Kate and Tony's news?" She asked, going over to his desk and kissing him on the cheek.

McGee nodded. "Tony asked me to be best man."

Abby grinned. "Kate's asked me to be maid of honour, and Gibbs is walking her down the aisle."

"So I've heard." McGee said. "Why don't we go to lunch and celebrate?"

"Sounds like a plan." Tony grinned. "I can't concentrate on my work, anyway."

"Neither can I." Abby said excitedly. "And I'm not even the one getting married!"

"What's all this?"

The five of them looked up; Jenny was standing at the stairs, looking amused.

"Kate and Tony are engaged!" Abby exclaimed. "We're going out to lunch to celebrate! Would you like to join us, Director?"

Jenny smiled. "Actually, it's not Director anymore."

Four confused faces looked up at her. Gibbs, however, knew this was coming. It had been in the works for a while.

"You're returning to the field, Jen?" He asked her. It was a question he didn't need to ask, since he already knew the answer. The two of them had discussed it quite a lot outside of work. Among other things.

"I am. Starting next Monday, your new Director will be Kate Todd. I will be taking her place on the field as a Special Agent."

Kate could feel her eyes widening. It hadn't been that long ago that she was promoted to Deputy Director, and now, so soon after, she was being made Director of NCIS? Just like that?

Her old team clapped politely, although she could tell that they were just as shocked as she was. Tony hugged her, but it felt awkward. Almost forced.

"Should we go out and celebrate?" Jenny asked. "I'll get Ducky…"

They nodded, or made some remark, but they weren't sure what to say. They all headed for the elevator. Only Jenny got off at Autopsy, the rest of the team said that they would wait outside by the cars.

Inside the elevator, not only was it cramped, but also it was quiet. No one said anything, no one looked at anyone else. It was very quiet.

* * *

Later that night, Tony and Kate lay in bed, thinking. Kate was looking at the ring on her finger. She was happy beyond anything about the engagement, but she wasn't sure about the promotion.

"Tony…" She said quietly.

"Yes, Katie?" He snuggled up closer to her. He was the person who had taken the news of her promotion the best, and she was grateful for that.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be Director." She confessed. "I mean… did you see the look on everyone's faces? It was bad enough when I was made Deputy Director. What if they hate me for it? What if I don't make a good Director?"

"Kate, don't worry about it. You being Director is a good thing. It's such a big step for you."

"I don't know if it's a step I want to take though." She said, rolling over so she could look at him. "What if I ruin everything?"

Tony snorted. "You won't ruin anything. You just need to trust yourself more."

She smiled, and kissed him. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

He nodded. "Try to get some sleep."

"Alright. Goodnight, Tony."

* * *

Kate was starting late the following morning, so she decided to ring her mother and Tony's mother and make the arrangements for the dinner Tony wanted to plan. She had woken up just as he was leaving. He promised to meet her for lunch, which made her feel better.

When she got around to calling her mother, she answered pretty quickly. _"Hello?"_

"Hi Mom, it's Kate."

"_Hello, Kate darling. How are you?"_

"I'm good." Kate said, smiling. "Listen, what are you doing this weekend?"

"_Not much."_ She replied. _"Why?"_

"Well, Tony and I wanted to invite you down to stay this weekend. We've got some good news to share."

"_What news?"_ Sarah Todd asked eagerly.

"That would be spoiling the surprise, Mother!" Kate laughed. "Are you able to come or not?"

"_Yes, yes I am."_ She replied. _"I'll be down on Friday night, alright? You probably won't be back from work yet so I will make dinner."_

"Thanks Mom. See you Friday."

"_See you, Kate."_

Kate hung up the phone, and grinned. _'So far so good.'_ She then dialled Tony's parents' number. Alexandra answered. _"Hellooo?"_

"Hi, could I please speak to Samantha please?"

"_Sure. Can I say who is calling?"_

"Kate." She replied.

"_Kate? As in, Tony's Kate?"_

"Er, yes."

Kate held the phone away from her ear as Alexandra squealed. She could hear every word that Alexandra was saying anyway.

"_Mom!"_ She listened as Alexandra called for her mother. _"Tony's girlfriend is on the phone! Hurry up!"_

* * *

Friday afternoon was rapidly approaching. Kate felt like she was sitting on pins and needles by Friday morning. Tony tried to comfort her, but it was no good. She fidgeted and squirmed all day, and wasn't able to concentrate.

Tony thought the whole thing was amusing, but he didn't dare let Kate know that.

Finally, Gibbs announced to the team that they could leave for the weekend. Tony grabbed his gear and went up to get Kate. She was sitting at her desk, reading from a large book. It appeared that she hadn't noticed him yet.

"Ready to go, Katie?"

She looked up at him, and smiled. "Yeah. But unfortunately I'll be bringing work home with me this weekend." He pulled a face as she pointed to the thick book. "I didn't know being Director had this many rules. But, I suppose I have to be up to standard, right?"

Tony smirked. "You'll do fine, Kate."

She shrugged, and stood up. She grabbed her bag and the book, and clicked her desk lamp off. "Shall we call it a night, then?" She suggested. "Our parents are probably there already."

Tony looked at his watch. They would definitely be there by now. "At least Sarah said she'd cook."

Kate grinned, and they left the office. "That's because it was your night to cook." She laughed. She locked her door, and they went down the stairs. The bullpen was completely empty by the time they got down there, and all the lights were off.

"Seems like everyone has plans this weekend." Tony commented as he looked at Gibbs' empty desk. "Gibbs never leaves at the same time as us."

Kate nodded. They waited for the elevator, and were surprised when the door opened to find Abby and McGee in the elevator.

"Wow. Look at you two." Tony said, his eyebrow raised in surprise.

Abby flashed Tony a grin. She was dressed in a dark red dress that went down to her thighs, as well as a pair of flashy black strappy shoes. She had her usual collar on, and her hair was pulled up. Completely different to her usual. McGee was wearing a dark suit.

"What's the occasion?" Kate asked.

"No occasion." McGee said, shrugging a shoulder.

"McGee, you shouldn't lie!" Abby slapped his arm. She looked at Kate, a tired look on her face. "It's Tim's birthday today!"

"Happy birthday!" Kate said.

"Why didn't you tell us, Probie?" Tony teased.

McGee smirked. "Gee, I wonder why?"

Kate grinned. "You're on your way out, then?" They stepped into the elevator, and McGee and Abby stepped out.

"Yeah." Abby said. "Tim just forgot his wallet. I told him I'd pay, since it was his birthday, but he's being stubborn as usual." She grinned.

"Well, we'll see you two on Monday, then." Tony said. "Our parents have all come down for the weekend. Let's just hope it goes better than last time."

Abby laughed. "Alright. See you Monday."

The elevator door shut, and they rode down in silence. Kate looked at the ring on her finger and smiled. She looked at Tony, who was watching her with a grin on his face.

"When should we start planning the wedding?" He asked.

She smirked. "I don't know. It depends on when you want it to be."

Kate thought about it. "I'd really like an outdoor wedding… how about some time next summer?"

"I like the sound of that." He leaned over and kissed her. "A beach wedding, a garden wedding, or a backyard wedding?"

"We'll have to think about it." Kate said. "After all, we do have quite a lot of time."

Tony nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

Kate was bombarded by Alexandra, her mother, and Samantha almost as soon as she opened the door. She almost had to fight them off her, and the shock of it would have almost been enough to give anyone a heart attack.

"What is it?" She asked in surprise. "Did the dinner burn?"

"No, silly!" Alexandra laughed.

"We were trying to figure out why you called us down here." Sarah said.

"Yes, and we came up with a few ideas." Samantha said.

"Oh, and what were they?" Tony said, coming in the door behind Kate.

"Well, either Kate's pregnant again, or you got a big promotion, or you're engaged." Alexandra blurted.

Robert came out of the sitting room. He looked exhausted. "I've put up with this for over an hour." He chuckled.

"So come on, which is it!?" Sarah and Samantha exclaimed.

Kate and Tony looked at each other, and Tony nodded. Kate turned to their mothers and Alexandra and showed them her ring. Tony covered his ears as Sarah and Samantha started squealing. Alexandra hugged Kate. "Yay, I'm going to have a sister!"


	24. Interlude I: McGee & Abby

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: This is a short interlude chapter (one of two, the other one will be next) which revolves around only Abby and McGee. Eternal Optimist suggested that I put in more McGee/Abby, so here is a short - and I mean short, just over 900 words! - interlude. Like I said, part one of two. The other one will be Gibbs and Jen. The timeline is the weekend where Kate and Tony's parents have come down... so... please enjoy!

* * *

Abby woke up on Saturday morning to discover that her head was somehow rested on McGee's chest. She had managed to snuggle up to him during the night.

She smirked. It _had_ been cold last night.

Abby watched McGee sleep for a little while longer, before getting up. She put on her silk robe and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from wincing; the wooden floor was extremely cold, and she wasn't wearing any slippers or anything.

She had just about finished making breakfast (omelettes), when she felt McGee's arms wrap around her waist.

"Good morning handsome." She smirked, turning around to face him. "Sleep well?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if I _got_ any sleep last night."

Abby giggled. "Tim! Didn't you like your birthday present?" McGee turned red. Abby just smiled. "Anyway. I made you omelettes. Go and sit down."

McGee sat down at the table, and Abby came over with their plates. She sat down opposite him, and for a while the two just looked at each other.

Abby tilted her head to the side. "You speak first, Tim."

McGee put down his fork. "I've been thinking…"

"So have I…"

McGee held out his hand, and Abby took it. "Abby, I think we should move in together."

Abby stared at him for a moment, unable to speak. Then she beamed at him. "I think that's a very good idea, Tim." She paused for a moment. "But… who would move in with who?"

McGee thought quickly. It would be very cramped if Abby moved in… with all his computer equipment. And if he moved into Abby's, he'd have to move everything.

"We could get a bigger apartment."

Abby grinned. "I like the way you think, Tim. We should start looking today!"

* * *

After breakfast, Abby and McGee left Abby's apartment and headed into town. They spoke to Abby's real estate agent, who gave them some places to look at.

"Where do we want to live?" Abby said as they stood outside the first place. It was in the middle of the city, and very noisy. She frowned at McGee. He shrugged back at her.

"It's close to work…?" Tim suggested, but Abby just let out a frustrated kind of moan and dragged him back to the car.

The second place they looked at was too far away from NCIS. Abby and McGee judged that it would take almost two hours to drive one way.

"Absolutely not!" Abby whined as they pulled up outside. "Too far away. Petrol costs too much these days. Even with two incomes, I don't think it would be wise."

"Agreed." Tim nodded. They left for the third place.

The third place they went to was not in the main part of the city. It was just under an hour away from NCIS, and the area wasn't too busy. Abby looked at McGee, and smiled.

"I like the look of this place." She grinned.

"We've only seen the outside!" McGee protested, although he had to admit he liked it too.

"Yes, but if it doesn't look appealing on the outside, then why pick it?" Abby challenged. She grinned. "But I can tell it appeals to you, Tim. I saw the look in your eye when we pulled up."

"It is nice outside." He agreed. "Much nicer than my apartment."

"And mine. C'mon, let's go check it out."

The two got out of McGee's car, and looked at the apartment. Abby walked on ahead, and McGee caught up with her outside the door. She knocked, and the door swung open.

McGee and Abby looked at the woman who stood there, smiling at them. "Hi. Abby and Tim, I take it? I'm Stephanie." She looked familiar, but they couldn't place it. "Well," She laughed. "Don't just stand there, come on in! Let me show you around."

The two followed her in, and McGee shut the door behind him. Abby was looking around, her mouth open in surprise. "This is definitely a good apartment." She said. "Why on earth would you want to give it up?"

"I'm moving to be with my mother," Stephanie replied. "She's getting old… and the city has too many memories… memories that I don't want to remember."

Abby's heart went out to the red-haired woman. She had only known her for a minute, but there was a sort of sadness that showed in her eyes.

"Well, Tim," She said, turning to McGee. "I think we had better take it. It's a good location and it's not too far away from work. That way, even if you sleep in you'll still be able to get to work before Gibbs has your head!"

Behind her, Stephanie cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Did you just say Gibbs? As in, Jethro Gibbs?"

Abby turned around to nod at Stephanie, when realisation hit her. Red hair. Gorgeous. Sad. Abby gasped. "You're _that_ Stephanie? Gibbs' ex-wife Stephanie? I remember you now!"

She nodded. "It's been a long time."

McGee stared at the two in amazement. They obviously knew each other from somewhere, and according to what Abby just said, he was one of Gibbs' ex-wives.

Surprising.

* * *

Surprising, yes? I didn't plan on throwing Stephanie in there, but the episode "Ex-File" was on TV on Sunday night and so I thought I could add her in somewhere too. But not for long, though. Probably like only this chapter.


	25. Discussions

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Just before dinner was due to be served, Kate took her mother to the side. She could faintly hear Tony and Alexandra play fighting in the next room, and Roberts strict voice warning them not to break anything.

"Mom, I've been doing some thinking…" Kate said, gesturing that Sarah sat down. The two sat down on the sofa and Kate curled up her feet.

"What about, sweetheart?" She asked.

"I think you should move back down here." Kate said, looking her mother in the eye. "After dad… well, I just think you should be here, with us. Indiana is too far away. If there was an emergency, we might not be able to get to you in time, or you to us…"

Sarah bowed her head. "Caitlin, you know I couldn't do that. You and Tony are getting married. You'll want to start a family. I'd just be in the way."

Kate shook her head firmly. "Mother, be reasonable! Even if you didn't live with us, you should consider moving back to the city. That way you'd be a car rides away, not a plane ride."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, and nodded. "I'll give it some thought."

Kate smiled, and got up. "Good. I'll talk to Tony tonight."

Sarah smiled at her daughter, and went to serve the dinner. Kate went to tell everyone that dinner was ready, and she got a bottle of red wine from the cupboard. She poured six glasses, and set the bottle on the table. Tony walked up to her and smiled.

"So far so good, huh?" He asked her, kissing her cheek.

"Yes." Kate said, smiling back at him. "I have something to ask you later… about Mom."

Tony looked into her eyes, and saw the sadness in them. There were times when he couldn't figure her out, and now was one of them. He just nodded, and agreed that it could wait until after dinner.

Over dinner, Sarah and Samantha talked non-stop about the wedding. So much so, that hardly anyone else got a word in. Both Tony and Kate were determined to make things work between their families, so no matter how much it might have annoyed them, they kept smiles on their faces the entire evening.

"Tony and Kate want an outdoor wedding, I heard." Samantha said, frowning a little. "But winter is almost here…"

"Mother, we're planning on having the wedding next summer." Tony tried to reason, but that seemed to cause his mother even more distress.

"Next summer? Anthony, that is so far away! Just have a proper wedding in a church, and it can be arranged… so you can be married in three months."

Tony and Kate looked at each other, and Kate shook her head. She turned to Tony's mother and said, "With all due respect, Samantha, this is our wedding. We would like it to be an outdoor wedding, in the summer."

Samantha turned to Robert, trying to get her husband to say something, but the whole thing just seemed to amuse him. He chuckled, taking a sip of his wine, and gently reminded his wife to calm down.

* * *

When Kate came out of the bathroom in her pyjamas, Tony was sitting on the bed, reading. He looked up when she came in, and didn't say anything until she was settled in bed.

"You wanted to talk about something before?" He asked her as she tried to get comfortable on the bed. "About your mother?"

"Yes." She said. She rolled over so she was facing him, and took a breath. "Tony… after all that's happened, I think that Mom should be living closer. She shouldn't be alone anymore."

'_Is Kate suggesting what I think she is suggesting?'_ "You want her to live here?" He asked, incredulous.

Kate bit her lip. By the look on Tony's face, and the tone of his voice, he obviously did not sit well with the idea. "Not necessarily here." She said quickly, hurt to see the immediate relief on his face. "Maybe we could get her an apartment in the city."

Tony laughed. "With _what_ exactly, Kate?" He asked her, ruffling her hair gently. "Of course I want your mother to be near, in case something happens, but how would we pay for an apartment for her?"

Kate had a sly look on her face, which gave Tony the impression that she wasn't telling him something. When he asked if that was the case, she kissed him and replied, "My parents taught me not to discuss money matters with other people… especially when it comes to new contracts."

Tony's eyebrow rose. _'Of course! Kate would never tell me what she's earning now as Director.'_ "Is that right?" Was all he said, smiling strangely.

"Well…" Kate said, looking at him nervously. "If you don't like the idea, then… tell me. Okay?"

He assured her that he would, and she smiled. As she settled into bed, she thought to herself with a smile, _'I'm marrying the most thoughtful man in the world.'_

* * *

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a man who always took things quickly. Nothing was ever slow for him, and every decision he made he thought over in his head multiple times before making it. That's why, on Saturday morning, as he watched Jenny sipping her coffee and reading the morning paper, it seemed like the perfect moment to ask her what he had been thinking about: the decision to move in together. Sure, they had not been seeing each other _that_ long, but there were the stints in Paris, plus the mutual unspoken 'thing' they had always had between them.

She looked up at him. "What are you thinking about?" She asked him. He thought about asking her how she knew, but she could read his mind. Or, she just _knew_ him. "I can see it in your eyes, Jethro."

He walked over to her, and looked into her eyes. Should he ask her, or should he tell her? Trademark, or genuine? "Jen, would you like to move in together?"

The coffee cup in her hands dropped, and hit the carpet with a soft thump. Gibbs didn't care that the dark liquid was staining the light carpet; there was only one thing on his mind. And it was whether she said yes or no.

She smiled coyly. "Took you long enough to ask, didn't it Jethro?"

His eyebrow rose. "I take that as a 'yes', then?"

She nodded, and put her arms around him. His arms wrapped around her slowly, and couldn't help but smile as she replied, "Yes, you do."

* * *

Kate was shaking like a leaf as she stepped into the lift, Tony close behind her. She was dressed in a dark skirt and matching coat, with a white blouse underneath. She hated the heels she was wearing, they were killing her feet, but since she was no longer going to be working the field she didn't have to wear boots or anything else.

"Kate, you'll be fine." Tony assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them a quick rub as the doors slid shut. "Just remember to breathe."

"Easy for you to say." She smiled. "You don't have to manage the entire agency."

He winked at her as the doors opened, and they stepped out. As they walked towards where Gibbs' team sat, Kate was taken aback by two things: first off, how everyone that passed the pair bid her a good morning as either "Ma'am," "Director," or "Director Todd."

It was weird.

The second strange thing Kate noticed was that Jenny was sitting at her desk, patiently reading over a file. She looked up as the two approached, and smiled at Kate. "How does it feel?"

Kate smiled nervously. "Like I have a million butterflies in my stomach. Was it like this for you?"

Jenny nodded, which greatly relieved Kate. "At first… by the end of my first week, after I got used to everything and everyone, I felt things would turn out fine. And they did." Kate nodded, and Tony headed over to his desk and sat down. "But, one thing I should warn you about. Just because you are a woman, don't think that that gives the Directors of other agencies the right to walk all over you. You are just as influential and important as they are, if not more so."

Kate smiled. "Thanks, Jenny. That's probably the most important advice I'll need for this job." She smiled at her, and then turned away. Tony was grinning at her.

"Meet me for lunch." He said, and she nodded. With one last wistful look at her old team, she walked over to the stairs, and then up them slowly, ignoring the eyes that were on her. The many eyes that belonged to Jenny and the members of her old team.


	26. Unbelieveable

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

As Jenny had predicted, the first week went rather awkwardly. Nothing serious happened, apart from the yelling match she had with Fornell when he turned up on Thursday morning. He obviously hasn't been told that Kate had taken over from Jenny as Director, and when he barged into her office (she had been lying comfortably on the couch, reading a bridal magazine), all hell had broken loose. What's worse, Gibbs' team had been on their way to MTAC for a meeting and had heard Kate accuse Fornell of being a "fucking pervert" for looking up her skirt.

_Kate was lying on the couch in her office, her feet dangling over the arm of the couch. In her hands was the latest copy of _Cosmopolitan Bride_, and she had been browsing through it that morning since there were no cases, and no meetings that she had to attend._

_She turned the page, where she came across a wedding gown that took her fancy. It was shoulder less, strapless, and the colour was a light caramel cream colour. It would go perfectly with her skin tone. Just as she was imagining how she would look in it (the girl in the magazine looked a little pale, but beautiful nonetheless), the door burst open and Fornell strode in, looking around. When he saw Kate lying there, his mouth fell open._

"_Agent Todd?" He exclaimed. "Why are you in Director Shepherd's office?"_

_Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly got to her feet. "Haven't you heard of making an appointment?" She said tersely. "And perhaps you haven't heard, but I'm the new Director of NCIS. Jenny decided to return to the field, and I took over on Monday."_

_He looked her up and down. "Impossible."_

_She walked up to him, and looked into his eyes. "Believe it." He just looked at her, his eyebrow rising in surprise. Kate was grumpy and irritated. "Was there something you wanted, Agent Fornell?"_

"_As a matter of fact, I wanted to speak with… Agent Shepherd. I also think you should adjust your skirt."_

_Her face flushed immediately, and she looked down. Sure enough, when she had been lying on the couch her skirt had somehow ridden up, and her black lace panties were just visible. She straightened up her skirt, and snapped at Fornell, "You pervert! How dare you?"_

_It was his turn to turn red. "Now see here, I was just-"_

"_Trying to look up my skirt?" She exclaimed, her voice raising. "Get out, get out! You fucking pervert!"_

_Fornell tried to defend himself. "I was only trying to-"_

"_Only trying to what? Look up my skirt? You're a dirty, perverted old man, and you should be locked away! Get out of my office before I call Gibbs!"_

"_He's already here."_

_Kate looked over Fornell's shoulder, and sure enough, saw Gibbs standing there. Along with Tony, Jenny and McGee. Gibbs looked furious._

"_Now see here Gibbs, there's been a misunderstanding." Fornell reasoned._

"_Has there?" Kate snapped at him, her face colouring. "You barged in here unannounced, then told me you could see under my skirt!"_

_Tony tried to lunge out at Fornell, but Jenny and McGee grabbed his shoulders. "You bastard!" He spat, struggling to get out of his co-workers' grips._

"_Fornell?" Gibbs asked._

Now, it was Friday evening, and Kate was looking at some paperwork in her office. Tony had told her that he'd meet her at home, and that he would cook dinner for the two. She liked the idea; she had been cooking every night that week and she wanted to put her feet up when she got home.

Her mother would also be at home. Kate had convinced her that finding an apartment in the city was a suitable thing to do, so the family home in Indiana had gone on the market, and she would be returning at the end of the month to get her things. Over the weekend Kate would be taking Sarah out to go house-hunting. It would be a perfect opportunity to talk to Sarah alone about something that had been bothering her of late.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Kate lay in bed, watching Tony sleep. He always seemed to sleep longer than she did, which she didn't mind. She took comfort in just watching him sleep peacefully. The phone rang, and Kate reached over and picked it up quickly, as to make sure Tony didn't wake up.

"Hello?" She said as she climbed out of bed, picking her silk robe up as she went. She left the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

"Kate…?" The worried voice on the other end of the phone said. "Is that you?"

Kate thought for a moment. "Abby?"

"Yeah." Abby said. "Listen, Kate, I need to meet up with you somewhere. Can you meet me for breakfast at that café near your place?"

"Sure…" Kate said nervously. "Abby, are you alright?"

"I can't talk right now, Kate." Abby said. "Meet me there in 20 minutes, alright?"

Before Kate could say 'alright', the line went dead. She thought about it for a while, hoping whatever it was that was bothering her was not too bad, then went to have a quick shower and get ready.

When Kate arrived at the café a little over 20 minutes later, she found Abby sitting at a table, waiting. From a distance she looked miserable, but when she saw Kate approaching, she attempted to smile.

"Hi Kate." She greeted her best friend as Kate sat down. "Thanks for coming."

The first thing Kate noticed about Abby's appearance was… how normal she looked. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a minimal amount of makeup. Also, her clothes were not as 'loud' as what she normally wore.

"What's going on, Abby?" Kate asked, ordering the two a hot drink.

Looking at Kate with widened eyes, the Goth said quietly, "I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

The two stood outside the local chemist ten minutes later. They had had a quick conversation over their hot chocolates, and Kate had suggested going to the chemist to buy some pregnancy tests. When Abby had protested that they needed only one, Kate said that more tests would make it more accurate. Abby had seen her point and agreed. When they reached the chemist, Abby got cold feet. She made Kate go inside and get them.

Following that, they went to Abby's apartment (McGee was visiting a sick relative, so he wasn't home) so Abby could take the tests in the privacy of her own home.

As Abby grabbed two of the tests and headed for the bathroom, she turned to Kate. "Kate… can you take one too?"

"What?" Kate almost laughed, but didn't when she saw the serious look on Abby's face.

"Humour me… please?" The Goth pleaded. "So I know I'm not going through this alone."

"Abby, if it turns out you are pregnant, you won't be alone. You'll have your friends, family, and most importantly, you'll have McGee."

Abby seemed a little more calmed at that, but she still handed Kate two tests. "Then you'll do it for a laugh."

"Ah, okay." Kate said, taking the tests. Abby grinned and disappeared into the ensuite in the bedroom, and Kate went into the smaller bathroom at the back of the apartment. "Here goes nothing…" She said to herself.

* * *

5 minutes later, Abby looked at the test in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes.

It was positive.

The second test, which she had taken a couple of minutes earlier, lay next to the hand basin. It too, read positive.

She couldn't believe what she was reading. She was pregnant.

She was going to have a baby.

Abby left the bathroom quietly, and sat on the sofa, waiting for Kate. Another five minutes passed before Kate came back into the lounge. She looked disturbed.

"Kate, what's wrong?" She asked instinctively, forgetting completely about her own problem.

Kate didn't reply. She held up the two tests she was holding in her hands, and Abby could just make out the small plus signs on them.

"Oh my god, Kate!" Abby exclaimed, jumping up and hugging her friend.

"What about yours, Abby?" Kate asked.

Abby shrugged. "Mine were positive… but I already knew that they would be. Wow, I can't believe you're pregnant again! What's Tony going to say?"

"I don't know if I want to know," Kate confessed, laughing.


	27. Good Advice, Faulty Condoms

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Tony was sitting on the bed later that night, listening to Kate throwing up in the bathroom. When he had come in initially to pick up some of his clothes so he could surprise Kate by doing his own washing, he was surprised to hear her in there. He wanted to knock on the bathroom door, and ask if she was alright, but he decided he would wait until she came out.

Which eventually, she did. When Kate came out of the bathroom, her eyes widened when she saw Tony standing there.

"We need to talk." She said, sounding defeated. "You may not like it."

Tony sat down on the bed, and looked up at her. "You're right." He said, an amused smile on his face. "I thought morning sickness was reserved only for the _morning_."

Kate's mouth fell open. "H-how long have you known?"

"A couple of days." Tony confessed. "You've been awfully moody. You're always tired. Your sex drive has bombed over the past week or so," Kate glared at him at that, "And you've been throwing up." He smiled. "I thought it was just a reaction to the macaroni I made, but it would appear that isn't the case."

Kate huffed in annoyance. "I only found out this morning. I took a test just to humour…" She stopped dead, remembering that she promised Abby she wouldn't say anything to anyone until McGee knew.

But Tony was intrigued. "You took a test to humour _whom_?"

"Erm…" Kate thought quickly of a friend of hers that Tony didn't know. "Someone who thought she was pregnant. Silly."

Tony opened his mouth to ask her who, but she covered her mouth quickly, running back into the bathroom and slamming the door. Tony couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to her emptying her stomach, and left the room.

As he stood in the hallway, Tony thought about who the other pregnant girl was. _'Maybe McGeek will know.'_ He thought to himself as he walked downstairs to get the phone. He dialled his number, and Abby answered. _"Hello?"_

"Hey Abs." Tony said. "Is Probie around? Kate told me something interesting, and I want to know if he knows who she was talking about."

"_What did Kate say? I might know. When it comes to gossip, Tony, you should know that _I'm_ the one you come to!"_ Abby laughed, and Tony couldn't help but laugh too.

"Sure. But, before I tell you, did you know that Kate's pregnant?"

"_Duh."_ Abby replied. _"She was with me when she found out."_

"She _was_?" Tony asked, incredulous. Pieces were starting to fit together in his head, and a grin was spreading on his face.

"_Yes, Tony, she was."_ Abby said. _"I'll get Tim if you want."_

"Nah, it's okay." Tony said. "Listen, would you and Probie like to come around for brunch tomorrow? We can celebrate."

"_Celebrate what?"_

"The fact that there are _at least_ two babies on the way, that's what." Tony said slyly.

Abby shrieked. _"Tony! Did Kate tell you?"_

"No." Tony replied truthfully. "You just did." Abby cursed, and Tony grinned. "So, how about brunch? We won't have wine since the ladies can't have any alcohol."

"_I'll have to talk to Tim first."_ Abby said sullenly.

"You haven't told him about the baby?"

"_I just found out myself!"_ She protested. Tony could clearly hear the effect the hormones were having on Abby. At one minute she sounded happy and bright, and the next minute she sounded dark and miserable.

"Well, tell him tonight." Tony chuckled. "Us men don't like the fact that we're going to be fathers hidden from us for too long."

"Whatever." Abby snapped. Then she giggled. "Anyway, I'll talk to Tim tonight and we'll meet you tomorrow morning."

The line went dead before Tony could answer, and he smiled. _'Probie is in for a fright tonight._'

* * *

Early on Monday morning, Gibbs was sitting at his desk, watching the news on the large TV. It was early in the morning, very early, so there wasn't much in the way of news.

Apart from one news report which would probably raise concern in any man.

_"Breaking news from the newsroom; we have just received reports from one of our correspondents that America's top-selling condom factory have been selling faulty condoms for the past two months. Yes, you heard me correctly gentlemen; faulty. It was apparently unknown to anyone until a hospital in the Manhattan area had reports of almost five times the normal amount of pregnancies in women ranging from 13 - 45 years of age. We're crossing over to our reporter now, who is standing outside the condom factory with the company's representative…"_

Gibbs couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the comments about the report on the television. He didn't have much time to think about it though, as he heard the ding of the elevator. Moments later, Kate and Abby came in, talking quietly to each other. When they saw Gibbs, they smirked.

"Morning, Gibbs." Kate greeted.

"Yeah, morning!" Abby smirked. "Have you heard the news?"

Gibbs looked at the two. "You mean about the faulty condoms?"

The two girls looked at each other, wide eyed. "Faulty condoms?"

"Uh huh." Gibbs said. "They've been selling them faulty for the past two months, and they had no idea."

"I bet you hope Jenny isn't pregnant." Abby teased, earning a dirty look from Gibbs.

"I wouldn't mind." Gibbs shrugged. "Have a family before I get too old…"

Kate smirked. "Well, you could always babysit for me and Abby."

That sentence almost caused Gibbs to fall out of his chair. "Babysit?" He repeated, regaining his composure. "Are you two…?"

The two nodded. Kate made an excuse and went up to her office before Gibbs could really congratulate her - it might have been morning sickness - and Abby remained, a sad smile on her face.

"Are you thinking about Kelly?" She asked, placing a hand on his arm. Gibbs just looked into her eyes, an unreadable expression on his face. That was answer enough. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Gibbs, you aren't going to be alone. You have an amazing girlfriend who loves and respects you, and all your friends around you. And one day, maybe, you'll have another amazing child who will look up to you, and say to all his friends, _'My dad is Jethro Gibbs!'_" He chuckled at that, and she smiled at him. "See, I cheered you up! You owe me a Caf-Pow!"

He laughed, and she headed back towards the lift, humming a song.

Things weren't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

Yeah, so that condom thing... I don't really know why I put it in there. But I remember being told recently by someone that a whole batch of condoms were sold in New Zealand (and possibly other countries too, I don't know) that were faulty. That was back in 1990 - the year I was born. I wonder if I'm a faulty condom baby? My dad did mention that I wasn't planned... ... hehe. Hope you enjoyed this short chapter!


	28. Meet your son

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

* * *

Kate and Abby lay side by side on Kate and Tony's bed, deep in thought. The two had been placed on maternity leave, and they were bored out of their minds.

"Two more months for you." Kate said, turning to face Abby. "Are you excited?"

Abby snorted. "I'll be excited when I can see my feet again." The two girls giggled. Abby turned onto her side and looked at Kate. "What about you? You're due in two and a half months, and your wedding is in three and a half months. You're the one who should be excited."

Kate smiled. "I guess I'm like you… I'll only be happy when I see my feet again." This brought on another round of giggles.

"You should be stoked, Kate!" Abby exclaimed. "You're getting married! Your child won't be born with parents who aren't married."

Kate's face fell. She knew that over the past month or so, Abby had started to worry about her child growing up when she and McGee weren't married. It hurt Kate to see Abby so upset about it, but there wasn't anything she could do.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Kate asked, desperate to change the subject.

Abby nodded. "Shane if it's a boy. Hayley if it's a girl."

Kate smiled. "Nice names. Shane Scuito McGee. It fits."

Abby grinned. "Tim likes the names. We picked them together."

"We don't know what we're going to call the baby yet." Kate said, burying her head in the pillow. "My mother is trying to get Tony to hurry up and help me decide. I think it annoys him."

Abby nodded. "Everyone's been stressed lately. Especially you and Tony. Getting ready for a baby _and_ a wedding!"

Kate nodded. "I guess so. The wedding's already planned, we're just waiting for the day."

* * *

Six weeks later, Abby went into labour. All the way to the hospital, she panicked about the baby being premature, but Kate and McGee were able to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. And everything _was_ alright.

After 8 hours of labour, a girl and a boy were born to McGee and Abby. As the two had decided, the girl was named Hayley Katherine Scuito McGee, and she was born with dark brown hair and blue eyes. The boy, who was born about 25 minutes later, was named Shane Anthony Scuito McGee. Tony was over the moon that Shane had been named after him.

The morning after, everyone was gathered in Abby's room, making a fuss over her and the new babies.

"Abby, this is so amazing." Kate said, smiling. She was exhausted at having been at the hospital all night, but it was definitely worth it.

Abby smiled up at her best friend. "Thanks, Kate. But you should go home and get some rest. You've been here all night."

"Abby's right, Kate." Ducky said, also smiling. "You look like you're ready to burst. Or collapse with fatigue."

Everyone laughed at that, and Kate decided that it was best. Tony took her home, and the two slept the rest of the day away.

In fact, Kate slept until the next morning. When she woke up, Tony made her some breakfast (scrambled eggs on toast with a glass of orange juice), and she made some plans to visit her mother. Sarah was settling very well into her new apartment, which was a 15 minute drive from Kate and Tony's house.

"Are you visiting Sarah today?" Tony asked, pushing a plate of scrambled eggs over to Kate. Four weeks had passed since Hayley and Shane were born, and Kate and Tony had gone around to visit yesterday. Abby was still tired after the birth, but she was happy. She told Kate she was so happy to be able to see her feet again that she had cried.

"No," Kate said, sipping her orange juice. "Mom's coming over. Since I'm due any day now… I figured that I shouldn't go anywhere."

About two months earlier, Kate had brought up the idea of a water birth. At the start, Tony was dead against it. He didn't want his first child to be born underwater, and as a result of it, they had not talked for several days. Tony had actually gone back to his flat and stayed there for two nights, since neither of them could make any conversation without getting into a fight.

But, eventually he came around, and decided that Kate could do what she wanted as far as the birth was concerned. And what she wanted was a water birth.

In the middle of the lounge was a thing that looked a lot like a spa pool. It operated like a spa pool too, in a way. The water was not completely cold, and Kate would be giving birth in it. It scared the hell out of Tony. He wondered why she couldn't just go to a hospital, like normal people, but she was determined. She told him that her mother gave birth to her the same way, which had caused another fight ("Why don't you tell me these things?!"). But Tony had eventually become used to the idea.

Tony kissed Kate on the forehead, and grabbed his things. "I'm off to work. Call me - or get Sarah to call me - if you go into labour, alright?"

She nodded, and smiled. "I love you." She said.

He smiled back. "I love you too, Katie."

* * *

"Mom, I don't really see why it's necessary for me to be lying with my feet up on the couch." Kate grumbled as Sarah fussed around.

"Kate, you have to be comfortable." Sarah said, telling her daughter off. "You could give birth at any moment."

"But I probably won't." She replied, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Sarah bustled around the house, cleaning and organising lunch, while Kate lay on the couch. She liked the fact that she didn't have to do a lot. It was comforting.

She must have dozed off, because she found herself waking up to an immense pain. "Mom!" She yelled instinctively, curling up as the pain came again. "Mom!"

Sarah appeared quicker than Kate thought, her eyes wide. "Kate? Is everything alright?"

Kate moaned. "I think I might be in labour. Help me into the living room, please."

Sarah's eyes widened, and she helped Kate off the couch. "You're definitely in labour," She commented as she helped her out of the room. "Your water has broken."

Sarah helped Kate out of her clothes, and into the pool. "I'm calling Tony." She said to Kate. "Get yourself comfortable."

* * *

Tony was sitting at his desk, thinking about Kate. He watched McGee showing off pictures of his twins to Jenny, and it made him smile.

Soon, he would be able to do that too.

He buried his head in his hands, and thought about the mountain of paperwork that wasn't getting done. Suddenly, the phone rang. He picked it up eagerly, hoping that it was going to be interesting.

"Special Agent DiNozzo." He said, trying to sound interested.

"_Tony, it's Sarah."_

"Oh, hey Sarah." Tony said. "How are you and Kate doing?"

"_I'm good."_ Sarah replied. _"Kate's in labour."_

"What?" Tony exclaimed. "Now?"

"_Yes, _now_. Come as soon as you can." _Sarah said, before hanging up.

Tony put the phone down slowly, and looked at it for a couple of minutes. Kate was in labour. He was going to be a father. They were going to be parents.

"Tony?" He looked up from his daydream; McGee was looking at him oddly.

He leapt to his feet. "Kate's in labour!" He announced loudly, grinning. "I'm going to go and see her!"

"Don't you have to ask Gibbs first?" McGee asked.

"I'm sure Jethro will understand." Jenny said. "You go ahead, Tony."

"Thanks. See you guys later!" He said, grabbing his coat. He pulled it on and rushed out quickly, leaving two smiling people after him.

"Lucky guy." Jenny said.

"Yeah." McGee agreed.

Gibbs came down from MTAC, and approached his team. "Time for that sexual harassment seminar." The two looked at him, and he looked at Tony's empty desk. "Where is DiNozzo?"

"He had to head home, boss." McGee said.

Gibbs looked furious. "Was it an excuse to get out of the seminar?"

Jenny shook her head. "No, Kate has gone into labour. Her mother just rang to tell Tony."

* * *

Tony pulled up into the driveway and rushed up to the front door. Kate and Sarah were inside, it was true, but the door still remained locked at all times. He unlocked the door and went in.

"Kate? Sarah?" He called out, closing the door behind him and locking it.

"In the living room!" Sarah answered.

Tony went into the living room, where one of the most beautiful sights greeted him. Kate was sitting on the couch, her wet body wrapped in a blanket. It was open at the top, and she was holding a baby - their baby - in her arms. She looked up at him, and smiled. "Come over here, and meet your son."

Tony approached the sofa she was sitting on slowly, and knelt down beside her. When he looked at his son, all the horrible things that he had ever encountered in his life seemed irrelevant.

Nothing mattered now, except his family.


	29. Gorgeous

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list... ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Well, here it is. The second to last chapter. As always, please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

* * *

Sarah took the baby away, leaving Tony and Kate alone for a moment. Tony made sure the blanket Kate was in was wrapped securely around her. He smiled at her.

"This is the happiest day of my life." He said, stroking her cheek. "I never thought that something like this would happen."

Kate smiled back at him. "I know. I can't believe how much has happened."

Tony leaned over and kissed her. "Kate, I love you so much. I never imagined after that party that we would end up here, but I sure am glad that we did."

Kate started to cry. She wrapped her arms around Tony's neck. "Oh, Tony."

"Have you thought about a name?" Tony eventually asked, stepping back and allowing her space. He brushed her hair out of her face and wiped away her tears using his thumb.

Kate thought about it. "How about Adrian Connor DiNozzo?" She suggested.

Tony smirked. "It's like you read my mind."

Kate's eyebrow rose. "You were thinking the same?"

Tony chuckled. "No. It just fits."

Sarah came back in, with Adrian wrapped in a blanket. She handed him to Tony, who grinned at Kate. She smiled back at him, and wrapped the blanket around herself.

"Kate, we should get you upstairs." Sarah suggested. "You need to sleep."

"But-" Kate started to protest. "It's only the early afternoon!"

"Nevertheless, young lady," Sarah said, causing Tony to smirk, "You've just given birth. It's a very tiring process, and while you may not feel tired right now, your body will be. Tony, why don't you go and ring Special Agent Gibbs and tell him why you disappeared from work so suddenly?"

"No need." Came Gibbs' voice. The three looked up to see Gibbs, McGee and Jenny standing there. Both McGee and Jenny were smiling. Even Gibbs looked impressed. "DiNozzo, where are your manners? Get a towel before Kate catches pneumonia."

"I don't think manners have anything to do with it, Jethro," Jenny teased, as Tony took off in search of something warm and dry for Kate. "More like common sense."

Sarah smirked. "Would the three of you like something to drink? To eat? Especially since you came out all this way."

"A whiskey would be nice." Jenny said, smiling.

McGee said that a coffee would be fine, as did Gibbs. He then turned to Jenny. "Aren't we going back to work?"

"It's a special occasion, Jethro." She replied, flashing him a smile. "Besides, I don't think there are any big cases. I think we can stay for a while and celebrate with Kate and Tony."

"I'll call Abby." McGee said. "She won't mind bringing Hayley and Shane over."

Kate chuckled. "Unless they're sleeping."

Tony came back, and sat on the arm of the sofa. He gently towel-dried Kate's hair for a bit. "Probie, even I know enough about parenting to know that you should never wake a sleeping baby. Just warning you, though." He added with a grin.

McGee looked horrified.

* * *

As it happened, the twins had not been asleep when McGee rang Abby. They had just woken up from an impromptu nap, and were rather restless. Abby, therefore, jumped at the prospect of bringing them around to meet baby Adrian.

By the time Abby arrived, everyone was settled quite comfortably in the living room. Kate had since been upstairs to change, and was settled on the couch, wrapped in a small blanket. In her arms was Adrian, who was sleeping. Extra chairs had been pulled up for everyone else, and coffee was being served, along with other snacks.

"Hey, everyone!" Abby called when she pushed open the door. "A little help?"

McGee, who had clearly forgotten about the two-seater buggy they had, rushed off to help her and the babies inside. Within five minutes, they were all settled.

"Wow, Kate." Abby gushed over her and Adrian. "You and Tony have very good genes! I'm sure Adrian will be a heartbreaker, just like his daddy."

Tony laughed nervously, and Kate threw him a mock death glare. "Not if he knows what's good for him."

"I'm sure your daughter will be the spitting image of you, Kate." McGee said.

"Another baby?" Tony and Kate said in unison.

"Well, yeah," McGee said. "A little sister for Adrian, maybe, one day?" He said, realising by the look on Tony's face that he had probably put his foot in it, big time.

"I think you said a bit too much, Tim." Abby laughed, handing him Hayley. "Can you be a sweetheart and change her? Honestly, I think she might be a bit unwell."

"Un… well?" McGee echoed, not liking the sound of it. He grabbed the bag Abby had brought with her, and took out the things he needed. He then went into the next room to change Hayley.

"Yeah, unwell, Tim." Abby said, grinning at Kate. "She's a nasty little piece of work."

Kate smirked back. "Abby, you didn't-"

Suddenly McGee exclaimed, "Oh, that is not pretty!", drowning out Kate's sentence.

Tony caught on, and burst into laughter. "Abs, I'd separate the babies tonight if little Hayley has a tummy bug."

* * *

Over the next three weeks, Kate only came into work a couple of times, and not for very long. She still had some maternity leave, and she was going over the last minute plans for the wedding.

The previous day, Kate, Abby and Sarah had gone into the city and picked up Kate's dress. A very light cream colour was strapless and flared out a little at the bottom. Her nerves were slowly starting to increase as reality was starting to sink in; in one weeks time she would no longer be Caitlin Todd, but Caitlin DiNozzo.

After they had picked up the dress, they went back to Kate and Tony's place, where they spent the afternoon looking after the children. Tony and McGee got back around seven, and dinner was served at eight after the babies had fallen asleep. Abby, McGee, Shane and Hayley left at 10, and Sarah stayed the night.

Kate lay in bed, thinking quietly. Tony came in from the bathroom and watched her. "Everything alright, Katie?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Of course, Tony. I was just thinking."

"Of what?" He asked as he climbed into bed next to her.

She smiled and snuggled closer to him. "How we'll be married in a week."

Tony grinned and stroked her hair. "Oh, Katie." He said softly, kissing her. "You've given me all the things I never knew I wanted. I have a gorgeous little boy, and in a week, I'll also have a gorgeous little wife." Kate giggled into her pillow. "What?" He asked her.

"Oh, nothing." She said in her teasing tone. "Just never heard you say gorgeous before. Especially not when relating to a boy."

Tony looked scandalised. "I have too used the word before! And why can't I call my son gorgeous?"

Kate just smirked at him. "Never mind, Tony. Let's just sleep, okay?"

Tony turned off the light and Kate snuggled up to him. They lay there in silence for a while, until Tony said, "Katie, you're gorgeous."

She smiled, and leaned over and kissed him. "You're gorgeous too, Tony. Now sleep."

"Yes, Katie. Goodnight Katie."

She giggled again. "Goodnight, Tony."

Unfortunately, they weren't able to sleep, because about five minutes later, they could hear Adrian's cries through the baby monitor. Tony sighed into his pillow.

"Your turn to check him, Tony." Kate mumbled.

"I checked him last night."

"No, you didn't."

"Did too."

"If you check him, I'll make you breakfast tomorrow morning." Kate suggested.

"Now that's a lie and we both know it." Tony joked.

Kate sighed, and got up slowly. "You're right, it's my turn." She patted Tony's arm, then left the room and headed down the hall to their sons room.


	30. The Big Day

The Morning After  
By that belle

Ending up in Anthony DiNozzo's bed was not at the top of Caitlin Todd's 'to do' list… ..Tony & Kate..

A/N: Well, here's the final. Kinda sad really, to think that I won't be updating this again. Anyway, I'd just like to thank everyone who has read or reviewed this story. Anyway, here's the ending, I hope it's satisfactory. Enjoy!

* * *

The wedding was planned to be at sunset on Saturday. It would be held down on the beach, and there were only about thirty people coming in total. Tony and Kate didn't need - or want - a super extravagant wedding to show to the world that they loved each other.

Everyone who was invited got to stay at the nearby hotel the night before the wedding. In separate rooms, the stag and hen's nights went on into the early hours of the morning. For tradition's sake, Kate and Tony didn't share a room that night. Kate firmly believed that Tony was not able to see her until she was walking down the aisle the following evening.

And since the wedding was being held outside, they hoped like hell it wasn't going to be a windy day.

On Saturday morning, Kate woke up with butterflies in her stomach. She had shared the double room with Abby and Adrian last night, and a couple of doors down, Tony had shared with McGee and the twins. She lay on her bed for a while, thinking quietly to herself, until Abby came in, grinning from ear to ear.

"I ordered room service for breakfast." She said. "Couldn't be bothered cooking." Kate looked up at her, and couldn't help but laugh. Abby's face turned serious. "Kate, it's your wedding day! Time to get up! Get in the shower! Your mother will be here in-" She paused to look at the clock on the wall, "- 15 minutes to help me with your hair."

Kate smirked at Abby, and got up. She looked over at Adrian, who was sitting on the floor, playing with a toy. "I need to-"

"I'll change him." Abby laughed. "Now, go!"

Kate headed off into the bathroom, and shut the door. She took off her pyjamas and looked at herself in the mirror. Close to where her heart was, there was a small round scar from when she had been shot. The vertical scar that ran down her stomach was from when she had to be operated in after she was shot. It scared her to look and the scars and think about them.

"Kate!" Abby called from the other side of the bathroom door. "I don't hear water running!"

"I'm getting in now!" Kate replied, turning on the water and stepping under the spray.

Over in the men's room, Tony was also just getting up. Gibbs and McGee were having an interesting time changing the twins' diapers, and when Gibbs noticed that Tony was awake, he pointed towards the bathroom door. "Shower. Go."

"Yeah, alright." Tony grumbled, getting out of bed.

"Good morning to you too, Tony." McGee teased. He then blew a raspberry into Hayley's chest, causing the young girl to shriek with delight. The two other men in the room, however, looked on with amused expressions.

"Gee, boss," Tony said as he walked across the room towards the bathroom, "I didn't know McGiggle was a girl."

McGee glared at the bathroom door as it shut behind Tony.

* * *

Kate looked at herself in the mirror. Behind her stood Sarah and Samantha, and both were smiling.

"Caitlin, honey, you look gorgeous." Samantha said, patting her on the shoulder gently. "My son is the luckiest man in the world."

Kate couldn't help but beam. Her hair had been pulled into a loose bun, and had been clipped up at the back. She wore a pair of simple drop earrings, and her silver cross was around her neck. She wore little makeup - Sarah and Samantha insisted that she didn't need it - and her signet ring on her pinkie finger.

Abby had left earlier to go and help McGee look after the twins, and to go and get ready herself. As sunset drew closer, Kate was helped into her dress by her mother, then she was left alone by the two women so they could go and get ready. The next person she was going to see would be Gibbs, and he would be taking her down to the beach, where everyone would be waiting.

She ran her thumb across the surface of her signet ring. Her father had given it to her on the visit before he was killed. She sighed sadly. "Oh, daddy…" She muttered. "If only you were here on my big day… I miss you so much." There was a knock on the door, and Kate looked over. "Who is it?" She asked. If it was Tony, she would have to send him away. No matter how much she loved him, they weren't going to break the tradition.

"It's Gibbs. Can I come in?"

Kate smiled. _'That time already, huh?'_ She thought to herself. "Sure, come on in."

The door opened, and Gibbs came in. He looked at Kate, sitting by the vanity in her dress, and smiled. "Kate…" He said. "You look amazing."

She stood up, and he hugged her. "Thank you, Gibbs."

Gibbs chuckled and looked out the window. Slowly but surely, the sky was starting to become dark. He estimated that people would already be heading down to the beach. "How do you feel?" He asked, turning back to her. "In less than an hour, you'll be married."

"I'm a little nervous." Kate admitted. "I've had butterflies in my stomach all day."

"It's natural to feel that way." Gibbs said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But once you get down there, you'll never want the night to end." Kate grinned. "Well," Gibbs said, offering her his arm. "Are you ready, Kate?"

"Yes." She said firmly, taking his arm. "Let's do it."

* * *

"Tony, stop fidgeting." McGee said, trying to calm his friend down. They stood near the altar, watching as everyone took their seats.

"I'm nervous, Probie." Tony replied, fiddling with his tie. "Very nervous."

McGee nodded. "That's usually how people feel before they get married."

Tony turned around and looked at the small crowd. Most of them were already seated on the white chairs, talking quietly among themselves. The only two people that weren't there yet were Gibbs and Kate. In the front row, Kate's mother and Tony's parents were looking after the children, and Abby was waiting down the end of the makeshift aisle with Kate's flowers. She threw a smile down at McGee, who smiled back at her.

"Here they come." Abby said, hardly able to contain the grin on her face. From the short distance, she could see the two approaching.

As they came closer, everyone stood up. Kate and Abby smiled at each other, and Abby handed Kate the flowers. The two walked slowly down the aisle to where Tony and McGee stood. Kate looked at Tony, and he smiled at her, despite how nervous he looked. It probably matched how nervous she felt.

When they reached the front, Kate and Gibbs turned to each other. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and she smiled at him. Then, she turned to Tony, who held out a hand to her. She gave the flowers to Gibbs, and took Tony's hand with a smile.

"Dearly beloved," The priest began, smiling broadly. "We are gathered here today to join together this man, and this woman in holy matrimony…"

* * *

"Alright, girls, get in a group!" Kate called, waving the bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I'm going to throw them!" Every girl or woman present except those married - and Jenny and Sarah - gathered in front of Kate in a group. Laughing, she turned around. "Ready?" She closed her eyes, and threw them back into the crowd.

The night sky was suddenly filled with cries of, "I've got it,", "It's mine!", "Move, you!", and even a "Move, bitch!", until eventually there was a triumphant "Yes!", and a lot of dissatisfied grumbles from other girls. Kate turned around to see who caught the bouquet, and laughed when she saw the bouquet in Abby's hands. The Goth grinned at Kate, and Kate grinned back.

Tony and Gibbs were watching McGee, who had suddenly turned pale. "It's okay, McGee." Tony grinned, taking a sip of his champagne. "I'm sure nothing is meant by it. Really."

Gibbs just snorted, and walked over to Jenny, who had been talking with Sarah. "Beautiful wedding, isn't it Jethro?" She asked him, smiling.

"It sure is." He replied, kissing her. "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled. "I would." He took her hand and led her out onto the makeshift dance floor.

Kate walked back over to Tony, who had been watching her with a smile. "Hello, _husband_." She said, smirking playfully at him.

He laughed, and took her hands. "Hello, _wife_."

She smiled sincerely at him. "You don't know how amazing that sounds to me."

"I can imagine," He teased. "Marrying me _is _kind of a big deal."

Kate chuckled, and led him onto the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and replied, "Watch it Tony, your head might start inflating."

"Oh, Kate, you wound me." He said in a mock hurt tone.

She laughed, and he twirled her around. "I love you, Anthony DiNozzo." She said, smiling up at her new husband.

"And I love you, Caitlin… DiNozzo." He said, grinning.

She smirked. "How does it feel?" She asked him, turning serious for a moment. "Is this what you wanted originally?"

He shook his head. "If you were to tell me two years ago, that I would be married - to you, no less - with a son, I would have laughed. But," He added, smiling, "Nothing prepared me for this. Kate, having you and Adrian in my life is such a joy. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kate wiped away the tears she didn't know where there, and grinned at Tony. "Tony, that's so thoughtful."

He kissed her in reply. Kate's eyes closed and they danced together to the music, until someone clearing their throat interrupted them.

"DiNozzo!" Tony looked over Kate's head. Gibbs and Jenny were standing there, and in Gibbs' hand was an envelope. "This is for you from all of us." He handed Tony the envelope and smirked. "Your wedding present." He added when Tony looked at him, confused.

"Wow, thanks boss." Tony said, opening the envelope. "Means a…" He stopped when he looked down at the contents of the envelope.

Kate took it out of his hands, and looked at it. Her mouth fell open. "Two first class tickets to Fiji?"

"Enjoy." Gibbs said, turning around. "We'll see you at work in a week."

As he walked away with Jenny, the newlyweds turned to each other. Tony put his hands on Kate's hips and asked, "So tell me, Kate dear, since having Adrian…"

"Yes?" She asked, smiling.

"Do you still fit into that hot little bikini I got you for your last birthday?"

Kate gaped at Tony in amazement. He just grinned at her.


End file.
